Are You The Rabbit?
by JJ Louise
Summary: At age eleven, Sookie Stackhouse and her brother are given up to the state. The state turns Sookie over to a mental institution. Now she's twenty four, and thanks to an article about her "disability", her life is about to change drastically.
1. Mental

**Well hello hello!**

**I'm terrible at summary's, so I hope ya'll enjoy. It's AU and OOC somewhat. I will use elements from the books and possibly a twist on some of the story lines.**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**Snoogans and enjoy! Let me know what you think. :)**

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><p>Everyone thought I was nuts. Crazy. So when I heard the new nurse assigned to my floor thinking that I was, it was nothing new.<p>

"I'm not crazy." I told her, and she turned to face me. She was pretty, and naive. She wouldn't last long here. She was to nice. The others here, the people who actually were crazy, would get to her, and like so many others, she would leave this place. "I'm telepathic." I didn't mind telling people about my gift. They never would admit to believing me anyway. Even though once I gave them a taste of what I could do, they couldn't deny I was telling the truth, even if they wouldn't admit it out loud.

The nurse, who's name was Penny, was a nice change of pace however. She was fresh faced, brunette, with a bob haircut and sparkling green eyes. She was slender like I was, and her uniform fit her well and showed off her slight curves. She seemed to be about my age. I was tired of having no one my age to hold a conversation with.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm Sookie." I reached my hand out to shake hers, but she still just stood in the doorway to my room staring at me. I put my hand down after a moment, shrugging my shoulders and heading back to my bed. She thought about apologizing, but then decided not to, because she hadn't actually called me crazy out loud, and it was ludicrous to think that I had actually heard her. I must have suspected that one of the other nurses or doctors had warned her in advance about me.

"No, I heard you call me crazy. But don't apologize. You aren't the first to think it, and you wont be the last."

She dropped the tray that she had been holding which was full of tiny cups of water. I giggled a little and then got back off my bed to help her.

"You aren't lying are you." she whispered as I bent down to start picking up the empty paper cups. I looked up at her.

"Well obviously not."

"No one believes you?" she said as she bent down to help me with the rest of the tiny cups.

"Everyone believes me. But they won't admit it out loud." I winked at her.

"So what are you still doing here?"

"No one wants to say it out loud. It's unbelievable, so it must not be true." I stood to put the empty cups in the trash can just outside my door. "So I get written off as crazy, and I never leave this place."

"Why don't you just pretend that you can't read minds so that you can leave?" she asked as she dropped the cups she had gathered into the trash.

I leaned in close to her, so that I could whisper in her ear. "Because maybe I am crazy." She inhaled sharply and her eyes went wide, meeting my blue ones. I smiled my pearly whites at her, and she took off running down the hall. I laughed until she was out of sight.

This was nearly my every day. Wake up, get called crazy, take some pills that did who knows what to me, hang out with the other patients in my ward, scare the nurses and doctors, then go to bed and do it all again the next day.

The rest of the time I spend daydreaming about all the things that I would do when I got out of here. I was young still. I was pretty too judging by what I saw other girls my age looked like on television. I was twenty-four. I had blonde hair that went just below my shoulders thanks to a recent cut, blue eyes, and a gracious bosom. I had slight curves, but they helped fill out my hospital issued pajama pants and white v-neck shirt perfectly. Yeah, I looked good in mental hospital wear. I could just imagine what I would look like in a dress or skin tight jeans and a pretty blouse.

So since I really was telepathic, and I wasn't crazy, how exactly did I end up here?

When I was seven, my parents died in a flood. My older brother, Jason, and I were sent to live with our grandmother, Adele Stackhouse. But she was older, and when Jason reached his rebellious teen years, she just couldn't keep him under reign anymore. Fearing that I would turn out the same way, on top of the trouble I already caused (unintentionally, mind you) because of my telepathy, and dreading having to worry about two teens, she gave us up as wards of the state. I could tell from being able to read her mind that it was the hardest thing she had ever had to do, and it was the last thing that she had wanted to do, but she just couldn't handle us. Not at her age.

I had begged and pleaded with her the day that the people from the children's home came for us. I had promised that I would be good. I wouldn't act out like Jason. I would be helpful around the house, more so than I already was. But it was no use. She just kissed us both on the foreheads, tears running down her cheeks, and then waived a hand as she walked back to her porch, and kept her back to us as we drove off in the backseat of the car that had come to retrieve us.

The first few weeks had been hard. See, I still didn't know how to put up the walls in my mind to block out the thoughts that I would get from everyone. And I still had a hard time sometimes distinguishing between what someone had thought, and what they had actually said out loud. Naturally, when I had gotten to the home with Jason, he was taken away to the boys ward, and I was brought over the girls.

Right off the bad, I made a bad impression with the head mistress. She had thought I had a rotten family for giving me and Jason up like they did. She didn't have any of our history yet, but knew that we had been willingly given up. She had just assumed it was lazy parents who hadn't really wanted children in the first place, and now that we were getting older and harder to manage, they just decided to give up.

Well, given my state at the time, this wasn't what a child of eleven should or would want to hear. I laid in to her, and said my very first curse word. I instantly regretted it, and chided myself as Gran would have if she had heard my potty mouth. But it was to late. I had responded to something she had thought, and never actually said out loud. I had managed to scare the dickens out of her, and three hours that I had spent at the children's home was at an end, and I was sent off to a local hospital.

I was poked and prodded, evaluated, and interviewed by nearly every doctor there, including all the psychiatrists. I had been hooked up to every machine, and given every blood test that they could think of. I even had a few MRI's. And when it was all said and one, not a one of them was willing to admin what I heard in their head they all knew was true. So that was how I ended up where I was now. Brentwood Hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana.

I've been here since I was eleven. I've spent more than half my life here, and I was comfortable with that. It was here that I taught myself to build the walls in my mind that blocked out the other patients and doctors and nurses.

Now, I know I gave Penny a hard time, and it was true, that everyone here did think I was crazy, but there were a few of the nurses that had been here quite some time, that I had gotten close to. They genuinely liked me, believed in my ability, (although they would never admit it out loud) but still kept their distance.

All except for one, who was walking in my door just then. "Hey baby, how you doing today?" Mrs. Marie asked. She gave me a warm smile and I reciprocated it. She was an older African American woman, full figured, and had a thick skin. You had to if you had any chance of working in a place like this. But that tough exterior had a soft spot for me. I had met her during my first week at the hospital. She normally didn't work in the children's ward, but someone had called out sick, and she had been asked to fill in. We warmed up to each other almost immediately, and soon, she was making regular visits to check on me. I know I had said that everyone here thought I was crazy, but in truth, there was one person who didn't think I was, and was willing to say that out loud. She fully believed in my curse, and stood behind me in that.

"I'm alright." I said, standing so that I could give her a hug. Her embrace was warm and welcoming, and I relaxed against her, resting my head on her shoulder. I lowered my walls, listening for anyone coming, because hugging me was not normal protocol, and she could get in trouble for it, which was the last thing that I wanted.

"I heard you gave the new nurse a hard time. Baby, you can't go off scaring people like that. We've talked about this before." She wasn't mad though. I could feel her smiling over my shoulder and I smiled right back into hers.

"I know, I know." I whined, letting go of her. "Did you bring it?" I asked, standing back to stare anxiously at her.

She gave me a little smile and reached behind her to withdraw a medical magazine she had tucked into her back pocket. It was folded open already to an article that stared yours truly. About a month ago, a doctor from some hospital in California had come all the way out to Louisiana to interview and study me. After talking with him for a few hours, he was completely convinced of my ability, although, like the rest, wouldn't admit it freely. But he did say he was writing an article about it, and since the hospital was in charge of me, they gave him the consent that he needed to have it published.

I took the magazine from her and jumped onto my bed. "I'll be back for that in thirty minutes." Mrs. Marie told me, and left my room. I settled back and got to reading. I understood most of it, including the medical terms. There wasn't much to do here, so I did a lot of reading. I was smart, and I knew it, but since I was stuck in a mental hospital, it went completely to waste. At least, that's what Mrs. Marie told me.

The article basically outlined my history here at the hospital and how I ended up here. It included the results and whatnot of the tests that I was routinely given, and evidence from brain scans that he thought could prove my case. And in the end, he included the line of questioning he had given me and having me read his mind, and had indicated that I had gotten every question that he had correct. But that didn't matter, because he chalked it up to some sort of slight of hand, Houdini style magic, and that in a nut shell I was, well, nuts, for thinking that I was actually telepathic. What I was, he had said, was an excellent profiler, and could have had a lucrative career in the field if I hadn't gone around telling people I was telepathic.

"Jerk." I said as I threw the magazine to the foot of my bed. But what did I expect?

I sulked the next few days. I didn't know why I let that stupid article get to me. Oh, maybe it was because now the whole country thought I was nuts, and a liar. I wasn't even sure how many people read that magazine, but if it was even one, it was one to many.

Little did I know that my life was about to change thanks to that article.

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><p>I woke to the feeling of someone watching me. I was scared at first, and I could feel my heartbeat rising. I could hear it pounding away in my chest. I had been sleeping, so my mental walls were down, and I scanned the room to find not a single soul there. I chalked the feeling to being left over from whatever I had been dreaming about, and I fought to get my racing heart under control. I was laying on my side with my back to the door of my room, and I stretched out, turning on to my back.<p>

"Holy hell!" I screamed. The figure standing there put their finger up over their lips to signal me to be quiet, and for some unknown reason, I obeyed. I pulled the covers up over myself so that just my head was sticking out from the covers. There was enough light coming in through the crack that my door was open and from the window in my room that I could see a tall, blonde haired man standing over me. Only I couldn't read him at all. He was like a blank spot. "And you're glowing." I whispered.

He cocked his head to the side. "You can see that?" he asked. His voice was so soothing. I simply shook my head yes in response to his question. "You don't have to be afraid of me." he said next, and I realized that my heart was back to pounding again. I could feel a slight tingle in my brain, and I quirked an eyebrow at him as he spoke again. "You wish to come with me."

"I don't know you." I replied, having found my voice again. This time, he quirked an eyebrow. He concentrated on me a little more, and then seemed to give up. "I can't read you. Who are you?"

He didn't answer me, he just stood there a moment longer, and then turned and left my room. I should have been terrified. I should have screamed even. But other than my startled reaction to finding the man standing there, I hadn't really been frightened of him. I was curious as hell though. I slid out of bed as quietly as I could, and made my way to the door of my room. I cracked it open a little further and peeked down the hallway in both directions. There was no sign of the tall blonde man. I contemplated going to the nurses station and telling them, but he would have had to have passed them to get to me. They would have seen him. And if they hadn't stopped him, then there might be something wrong. I crept out my door, and headed to my right to the nurses station. The new nurse, Penny, was sitting behind the desk.

"Can I help you Miss. Stackhouse?" she asked. I just stared at her at first. She seemed perfectly fine.

"Did you see a tall man with long blonde hair come down this way?" I asked tentatively.

"Miss. Stackhouse, no one's been by here. You should go back to your room." she said, and I reached into her mind to see if she was telling the truth. There had been someone in my room, and I was sure of it. And she should have seen him come down the hallway, and by the nurses station. When I poked around in her head, there was a blank spot. It was the strangest thing. I had never seen anything like it before. I must have been staring at her funny, because I noticed a worried look start to cross her face. I quickly tried to cover my strange behavior.

"Sorry. Must have been dreaming. You know, one of those ones that seems so real. Sorry to bother you. I'll go back to bed now." I smiled as I finished, and she nodded her head at me and smiled a little back.

"I think those happen to everyone every now and then. Have a good night Miss Stackhouse."

I turned and went back to my room. I climbed back in to bed, but I didn't go right back to sleep. My mind was racing. Who was that man? Why couldn't I read him? Why was he glowing? And most of all, I hoped above all things that he would come back.

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><p>"So what's this I hear about a tall blonde man walking around in the middle of the night?" Mrs. Marie asked as she entered my room the next morning.<p>

"Penny tell you that?" I said as I stretched and pulled my covers back. I had stayed up until almost sunrise waiting for him to come back, and I slept the rest of the morning away.

"You know she had to log it. You want to tell me what this was all about?"

I sighed and stretched my arms above my head. "I'm not even sure it was real anymore. Maybe this place is finally getting to me." I threw my legs over the side of the bed. I looked back to Mrs. Marie, and she was standing to my right, hands on her hips, waiting expectantly for me to answer her.

"Look, I woke up and felt like someone was standing over me. I turned over in bed, and poof, someone was there. Tall, blonde, and glowing. And I couldn't read him. His mind was like… like a void. It was so strange…" I trailed off. "But Penny didn't see him. And he would have had to have gone past her. Not to mention all the other security just to get to this floor."

"I didn't hear a thing about anyone breaking in last night."

"See, so I must have been dreaming. Like I said, place is finally getting to me." I looked around for my slippers, and Mrs. Marie followed me out of my room and down the hall for lunch call. I hadn't realized I had been asleep that long.

"Don't say that baby. You're a strong girl. It was probably just a dream."

"I sure hope so." But at the same time, I thought to myself that I hoped it had been real.

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><p>That night, I had a hard time going to sleep. My mind was racing still over the man who'd been in my room. I couldn't help it. This was now the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me my entire life. And the more that I thought about it, the more sure I was that it had not been a dream.<p>

I was partly scared to fall asleep, in fear that he would come back, and I would miss him. I had so many questions for him already. I hadn't even realized that I was dozing off, but I sure as heck knew when I woke back up.

"Shhh. Don't be frightened." the tall blonde haired man said. He was standing next to my bed this time, closer than I cared for at that moment. I did as he said however, and didn't make a peep. "You are Sookie Stackhouse, are you not?"

I nodded my head that I was.

"Do you want to leave this place Miss Stackhouse?" he asked. His smooth, cool voice sounding just like it had the night before.

I nodded my head again that I did.

"Good. Then you will come with me now." he said, and stepped aside to allow me enough room to get out of bed. But I didn't.

"Who are you?" I whispered. I was surprised that even heard me to be quite honest.

"That's not important right now. But I will explain everything. But if you want to leave, you must do so now."

"They'll notice I'm missing." I said, pulling the covers down a little, but still not getting out of bed just yet.

"I have that taken care of Miss Stackhouse. But I must insist that we hurry, we don't have much time." he said, and moved to the door, opening it the rest of the way.

I was so scared right then. My mind didn't know what to do. Did I leave with this strange man? He came into my room in the middle of the night twice now, and somehow was undetected both times. I couldn't read him at all. And he glowed. People didn't glow like that. And he seemed so old, although he looked young enough. Maybe not older than me. He could be kidnapping me, heck, he was kidnapping me. He could take me out of here, be ungentlemanly, and then kill me.

And even thinking all that, I hadn't even noticed that I had gotten out of bed, and was standing in next to him at the door to my room. I looked up into his eyes, which I could now see were the most beautiful shade of blue I had ever seen. Like an ocean blue, but almost blazing in a way. I was getting lost staring into them. And I found that I trusted him then. He wasn't going to hurt me, and he really was offering me a way out of this place.

I was scared as hell again. Not of him, but of leaving what had been the only thing that I had known for the past thirteen years. I had no money, no where to go, and I didn't know a single soul outside this place.

"Let's go." I said, and he smiled as he turned out the door and led the way down the hall.

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><p><strong>You like? Yes, no, maybe so?<strong>

**More next Sunday, if not sooner. As usual, I like to update on Sundays, and sometimes if I've written enough, during the week.**

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	2. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Hello everyone! Happy Monday!**

**Well, glad to see that ya'll liked chapter 1. So here's chapter 2.**

**THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

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><p>We got to the nurses station, and I noticed a blonde woman sitting with Penny behind the desk. She must have heard us coming, and the man who was taking me out of here nodded to her, she said a few things to Penny, who simply nodded her head an then waived to me, and the blonde woman joined us as we made our way to the elevator.<p>

The blonde woman was a little shorter than me, had straight blonde hair, and dark blue eyes. I noticed that in the light, her and the blonde man both seemed quite pale. Almost unnatural. She looked a bit younger than me, but just like the blonde man, she seemed older than she looked. We got to the elevator and entered silently, although I was sure that the man and woman seemed to be communicating to each other in some way. I reached out to tell what she was thinking, and found that she was a void just like the man was. I kept looking back and forth between them, waiting for one of them to say something, but when we reached the bottom floor, they had said nothing, and I could see the entrance to the hospital about a hundred feet in front of us, just past the security guards desk.

The man nodded in the direction of the guard desk as we exited the elevator, and the woman walked ahead of us and behind the desk. As we walked past her, I could see her saying something to the guard, who seemed oblivious to us just walking right out the front door.

We reached automatic door, and it whizzed open as we came to it. I felt the rush of the night air, and I inhaled deeply. It was a little chilly, and I realized that fall was upon us. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the smell of the fresh air. I stood just inside the door. The man and woman walked out, and the man turned back to me.

"We must go." he said, and motioned for me to join him. I looked down at the ground, the two, maybe three inch wide piece of metal that the automatic door slid across, that separated the tiled hospital lobby from the pavement of the outside world. The FREE outside world. I cautiously reached my foot over the metal, and placed my foot in the outside world for the first time in thirteen years. I was worried that the second my foot touched the ground, I would wake up from some cruel dream.

"Don't they ever let you out?" the woman snapped. She seemed to be impatient. But the man seemed to be trying to hold back a laugh at my little show.

"Only to a garden area. I'm free now. This is free air. Free ground. I'm… I'm free." I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

"Great, now she's leaking. Are you sure this was a good idea?" she asked the man. He didn't take his eyes off me, and watched as I stepped the rest of the way out. I smiled at him, blinking away a few more tears.

"Come Miss Stackhouse. We have much to discuss." I sighed and followed him and the woman to a red minivan, and climbed in the backseat.

Then the floodgate in my mouth opened, and I couldn't stop it. "Who are you?" I asked.

The glanced at each other. The woman was driving, and the man was in the front passenger seat. I took residence behind the woman and buckled up as we sped out of the parking lot. The man answered. "I am Eric and this is Pam." He turned sideways in his seat to face me.

"What do you want with me?"

"You are telepathic, correct?" he asked, and raised an eyebrow. He said it like I should have known that that was exactly why they wanted me. Like I was some wanted creature because of it. But the truth for me was that people avoided me because of it. Why would someone want me because of it?

"I am." I answered hesitantly. I was scared for the first time to admit that I was.

"You have a valuable gift Miss Stackhouse. You shouldn't be wasting it away in that excuse for a hospital that you have been living in."

"You believe me?" I asked, still stuck one question ago.

The corner of his mouth quirked up slightly. "That remains to be seen."

"Where are you taking me?" I looked out the windows, but I had no clue where I was. I mean, I know I was in Shreveport, but I hadn't seen the city streets in over a decade.

"To my club. We have a change of clothes for you there." he said, but I felt like he hadn't completed his train of thought.

"And?" I asked when he didn't continue.

"And a test. If you pass, we will be taking you somewhere safe."

"And if I don't?" I asked, but when he hesitated in answering, I felt my heartbeat raise and my breathing increase exponentially. "You'll kill me." I whispered.

He didn't deny it, and neither did the woman. Now, I knew for a fact what I was, but in that moment, I doubted myself. I was suddenly worried that it would fail me, even though it never had before, and they would think I had lied about my curse, and they would kill me.

"Can you read our thoughts?" he asked, changing the subject. I was still breathing quite heavily, and had lost my voice. I simply shook my head that I couldn't. "Good." he said, and I could tell from the expression on his face he was waiting for some sort of a reaction from me in those next few moments, but he seemed glad that whatever reaction he was looking for, he didn't get from me. I just sat there, staring at him, straight lipped and expressionless. It hit me then that he was probably thinking something nasty, or evil about me, and was testing to see if I could read it from his mind. Smart. I stayed expressionless.

"What about the doctors and nurses? They're going to notice that I'm gone." Not that I cared, but I was worried on some level that they would come looking for me. They always looked for the ones that managed to escape, and they always got them back.

"They won't be a problem. We've told them to release you, so they have. Anyone who asks about it will be told the same." Eric said.

"You just told them to release me?" I said a bit sarcastically. "You aren't my kin, how could you do that?"

"Miss Stackhouse, you are free of that place now. Does it really matter?" he said in that smooth voice. I sighed. I guess it really didn't. I shrugged my shoulders. Eric turned back in his seat so he was facing forward again, and we continued the rest of the trip in silence. That was, until we pulled up in front of the club that I assumed was Eric's, and then pulled around to the back. I read the sign on the door.

"Fangtasia?" I half laughed. Eric turned back to me again and smiled. "I'm sorry. That's just…"

"The customers enjoy it. And we find it amusing." Eric said, and this time, he shrugged.

And then it hit me. The pale skin, the glowing (although I wouldn't have associated it with this before now), I couldn't see into their minds… "Are ya'll vampires?" I asked a little more enthusiastic than I meant to. They both started laughing, good belly laughs. I smiled nervously.

Pam turned to Eric. "I like her." she said when she stopped laughing.

Eric turned back to me again. "Yes Miss Stackhouse. We are." He smiled at me, and I could see his fangs now. "Does that scare you?" he asked.

My heart was pounding a little, but not like it had earlier in the evening. I just stared right at Eric. I was in awe. Sure, I knew vampires existed. I heard all about the Great Revelation a few years back. They had originally tried to keep that from us in the hospital, cause I'm sure you can imagine what that would have done to some of the patients who were already mentally unstable. But eventually word got around, and it was everywhere, and it couldn't be avoided. I came back to the present and realized that I was ever so slightly reaching out to touch his fangs. I pulled my hand back to my lap. "I'm so sorry. That was rude of me."

"Think nothing of it." Eric said, and exited the car. Pam followed suit, and Eric opened the sliding door for me. I expected him to reach a hand in to help me out, but when he didn't, I seemed to remember something about vampires not really liking to touch or be touched. I climbed out of the mini-van and shut the door behind me. "Come. The club is still open. We can test your ability." Eric said, and he and Pam went into the door at the back of the building, and I followed. We went down a short hallway to an office, which I figured must be Eric's. There wasn't much to it. A desk and chair, two chairs on the opposite side of it, a couch against the wall by the door, and a file cabinet. There were some promotional posters on the wall for the club, and a few for different brands of bottled synthetic blood. That was what let the vampires mingle among humans from what I had heard. A Japanese medical company created a synthetic blood for humans, but could also sustain a vampire. So basically, they didn't have to feed from us anymore, and could live among humans as equals, no longer looking at us as meals. Although, I doubted that was the case.

The moment we had stepped into the club, I had put up my walls. It was nice on the drive over to have them down, and not have to worry about them. I decided that I liked being around vampires, once I figured out that's who I was with. It was quiet, and I didn't have to work at keeping their minds out of mine, because I just flat out couldn't hear them at all. I sighed.

"Change into this. We don't want you scaring anyone in… that." Pam said as she tossed me some clothes. It was jeans and a Fangtasia shirt. I held the shirt out in front of me and giggled.

"I'm sorry. I'll stop laughing." I said, folding the shirt back to me. They both stood there staring at me, and I stared back at them until I understood what was going on. "Can I have some privacy?" I asked a little meeker than I meant to. I was realizing that I needed to sound a little more assertive if I didn't want to get pushed around. Although, how did you overpower a vampire? Well, I figured you probably couldn't, but I wasn't going to let myself get walked all over either. Even if I did owe them my freedom. I still had rights, right?

Pam and Eric looked at each other, and Pam rolled her eyes. "Show her to the employee restroom." Eric said to Pam, and without a word, she headed to the door, and I scurried along to follow. It was clear that she didn't like having to cater to me one bit, even if it was just showing me where the bathroom was. She stopped at the door and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Thank you." I said as I walked in. I took the opportunity of being in the bathroom to take care of some of my human needs as well. I changed and splashed some water on my face, and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked tired. I had been up most of the night, I think anyway. What time was it anyway? I had a feeling this was going to be a long night. But staring at myself, I found that I didn't mind. Because I was free. There would be plenty of time to sleep tomorrow I suspected. I checked myself one last time, and then picked up my hospital pajamas. I didn't know what to do with them. I thought about throwing them in the wastebasket, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. They were the only thing that I owned. "I'm ready." I said to Pam as I stepped out of the restroom.

"Those jeans suit your figure." she said as I emerged.

"Yeah, they fit perfectly. How did ya'll know what size to get me?" I asked as we walked back to the office.

"We've been watching you." Eric answered, and that was all there was to it. He went back to looking at whatever he had been looking at on his computer when we walked in.

"Watching me?" I asked, clutching my hospital clothes to me. They both looked at me, like a "What, you didn't hear us the first time?" look. "Why?"

Eric smiled but looked slightly annoyed, like I should have figured this out already. "If you can do what you say you can Miss Stackhouse, you would be a very valuable asset to me." He must have seen the annoyance on my face. "Perhaps if you wanted to remain 'under the radar', you should not have agreed to that interview in that medical magazine."

I felt my face crumple a little. "So you read about me in the medical magazine?" I said those words and suppressed a smile. I couldn't picture either of them reading that magazine. But I was also a little hurt that they had set me free only to use me. But I guess I didn't know what I was expecting. So I couldn't really be that mad now could I?

"Not us personally, but it was brought to our attention. Information like this is important, because most humans will just look over such claims such as yours. However from experience, we find that claims like yours more often than not turn out to be truthful."

"You know other telepaths?" I asked, getting my hopes up.

"I have walked this earth for over a thousand years, and you are the first that I have met." Eric said, and I felt myself let go of a breath I didn't realize I was holding, and I felt my shoulders slump a bit. "Now, if you are done for now, I think we should move on. Pam, bring Ginger." Pam nodded her head and was out the door, leaving just Eric and me in his office. I felt myself stiffen. Eric must have seen it too, because he smiled at me and motioned to his couch. "Please, have a seat."

I did as he said, and took a seat. It was a comfortable couch, and now that I was seated, I was really realizing how tired I was. That's what I get for skipping my nap today so that I could play Scrabble with Jack in the recreation area today, I thought to myself. I was just getting comfortable when Pam walked in to the room with who I guessed was Ginger. I was almost sick to my stomach with the way she swooned over Eric the second she walked into the office.

"Good evening Master." she greeted him. I sniggered a little at that, and all eyes focused on me.

"Sorry." I said, and put my head down to hide my smile.

"Ginger," Eric said as he got up out of his chair and went to stand in front of her. He lifted a hand and brushed it along her neck. He was staring deeply into to her eyes, and she seemed almost hypnotized. "I want you to have a seat next to Miss Stackhouse over there. She's going to ask you a few questions." Ginger sighed and smiled at him. He removed his hand from her neck, and she sauntered over to me. She had a seat, and I turned to face her.

"Nice to meet you Ginger." I said, and reached out my hand to take hers. She pulled away at first, but Pam cleared her throat, which probably wasn't really necessary, but Ginger got the picture, and she let me take her hand. "So, why don't you tell me about your job here?" I asked, and I let her start to babble on about how she was a waitress and what a great boss 'Master' was. I kept my thoughts to myself on that one. I had dropped my walls, and was blocking out the murmurs that I was getting from the rest of the patrons and human employee's that were left in the club. I focused on her, and it was easier since I was touching her.

_I really hope Master picks me tonight. It's been a few weeks. Stupid Molly taking all his attention. I was his favorite until she came along. I've got to figure out a way to get rid of her. And now he brings in this blonde? He's looking at her like he used to look at me. Great, I wonder if she's his new fangbanger. I'm gonna have to get rid of her too now._

I put my walls back up, because I had heard about enough. I let got of her hand, and turned to face Eric and Pam, who were standing next to each other now, both leaning back against his desk. "Done?" Eric asked, and I nodded. "Pam, please see Ginger out."

Ginger rose off the couch and didn't pay any further attention to me than the little that she had. She was focused back on Eric. He was paying her about as much attention as she was paying me, and soon Pam must have got tired of waiting for Ginger to snap out of it, cause she grabbed her by the arm and practically drug her out of the office, leaving Eric and I alone again.

"That was terrible." I whispered. "What's a fangbanger?"

Eric quirked an eyebrow. "Where did you hear that?" he asked, but then smiled like he just realized why he had me here. "She thought that?"

"Oh, she thought a lot of stuff. But I didn't know what fangbanger meant."

"How did she use it?"

"She was wondering if I was one. She really likes you. She's jealous of Molly. She wants to be your girlfriend or something again. She's going to try to figure out some way to get rid of Molly so she can be your favorite again." I lowered my head and shook it back and forth. Eric just laughed.

"You are no fangbanger Miss Stackhouse." he said, and came to sit at my side on the couch. He moved so he was right next to me, invading my personal space, not that I minded. I was busy getting lost I his eyes. "But if you want to be, I can show you what a fangbanger is." he said, reaching his hand out to brush the hair off my shoulder and behind my ear, then bringing it down to caress my neck. I could feel the little tingling in my brain again. I was so scared. I wanted to move away, but I was scared to move. I was so happy when I heard Pam come back in the room, but then when it didn't derail Eric's advances, I was back to being scared. If I didn't want this to go any further, I needed to do something.

I cleared my throat, and leaned away from him. He stayed in position for a moment longer before retreating from me, and going back to his desk. I could see Pam trying not to smile, and I couldn't figure out why at first. But it must not be often that a woman turns down Eric. I couldn't lie, he was gorgeous. I had never seen anyone as beautiful as he was. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little attracted to him. But this was not what I wanted. Not here, not now, not with someone I didn't know.

Now that Eric was behind his desk, he went back to work mode, and leaned back in his chair. "Well, I think you've proven yourself tonight. You would be a great asset to us. I would like to offer you a position working for me."

"And if I decline?" I asked. I realized I was fidgeting, so I concentrated on stopping. I needed to be assertive. If I seemed weak or scared, I had a feeling it wouldn't be good.

"We will take you back to the hospital if you wish. Or you can just leave." he said quite flatly. "But I hope that we can come to some sort of an agreement."

"What are you offering exactly?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"We will give you a place to stay and a salary. The rent for your apartment will be deducted automatically from your salary, but I believe you will find the compensation for your time adequate. You will also receive a car so that you can travel during the daytime if needed." When he finished, he slid a piece of paper over to me and I laughed to myself about how very silly it seemed to do that. But I wasn't laughing when I read what he had written down. I looked at the little piece of paper and then back to Eric and Pam.

"Are you serious?" I whispered.

"It is not enough?" he asked.

"No, it's fine." I said, a little breathless.

"You understand that is monthly. If you feel you are being underpaid, we can discuss it." he said quite casually.

"Underpaid?" I exclaimed, not realizing that I had turned up the volume control on my mouth to max. Eric and Pam both seemed a little amused, and a small smiled crossed both their faces. I reined it back down. "This is a very generous offer. I don't know how I can say no."

"You can say no if you don't wish to work for me."

I put my hands down in my lap, gripping the tiny piece of paper with the very large number on it. "I don't understand why you're being so nice. Couldn't you just force me? I mean, you're a vampire and all…"

"I could force you, yes. But that's not how I like to treat my employee's. There is a certain level of trust that must be present in order to have a good work environment. How could I expect your best work from you otherwise?" he said quite casually, like I should have realized this from the beginning.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, I guess I accept. I don't know how I could say no to this."

Eric seemed pleased. He let a small smile dance across his face. "Good. I will have a contact drawn up and ready for you tomorrow afternoon. I will have my lawyer come to your apartment. You can look over it with him, and discuss any changes you wish to make."

"Thank you." I said, lowering my gaze.

"Come, I will take you to your new home." Eric said, rising from behind his desk. I noticed Pam looking questioningly at him, but he responded with a harsh glare and then went back to smiling at me. I nodded to Pam and wished her a good night and then followed Eric out his office, and back out the employee entrance and towards a red corvette.

"Nice." I said as he opened the door for me.

"Thank you Miss Stackhouse."

"Please, call me Sookie." I said as he folded his long body into the driver seat. He nodded and we took off down the road. We headed west of the club and down a main road. I couldn't tell where we were going. I didn't know any of the streets.

We were only on the road about ten minutes, but then again, he was speeding most of the way, taking tight turns, but we made it in one piece and he pulled into the parking garage of an apartment building. It looked like it was brick, but painted white. There was beautiful landscaping and flower beds in the front and the sidewalk was lined with trees with those little iron fences that circled them. The parking garage appeared to be below the building and Eric nodded to a security guard who opened the gate for us as we drove in. Eric parked in an unmarked stall, but I noticed most of the others had assigned numbers.

He climbed out and was at my door before I had really even registered that his driver side door was shut. "Wow." I said as I stepped out. "I heard vampires could move quickly, but you just don't really get it until you see it."

Eric laughed from deep in his belly as we walked towards and elevator. "Sookie, you really have never met a vampire?" he said as we stepped inside the lift. I shook my head.

"I've been in that hospital since I was eleven. I haven't been out the front doors of that place since. I've seen ya'll on television, but no, I've never met one." I said, and Eric simply nodded. We rode the rest of the way in silence, all the way to the tenth floor. Eric stepped out first, and I followed him down the hall until we reached the door to my apartment. He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and opened the door, stepping back to let me in first. I felt to my left and found a light switch. I flipped it up and the apartment illuminated. I went wide eyed, and stood frozen just inside the door. "Wow."

It was beautiful. I couldn't believe this was all for me. I turned to Eric, who urged me to move forward to inspect my new home. Walking in the door I was greeted by a small entryway which opened into a modest living room. The walls were painted a cobalt blue and there was white trim lining the floor and ceiling. The floor was hard wood and there was a large deep grey area rug in the center of the living room. To my left was a kitchen which opened into a dining room and the living room, and was separated from both by a large curved island. The counter tops were marble, and all the appliances were stainless steel.

I made my way to the living room and walked around to the large picture window that looked out over the city of Shreveport. It was a beautiful view. I turned and looked to Eric, who was still standing outside the front door. He cleared his throat, not that he had to, but it was like he was trying to signal something to me. I just looked back at him and shrugged my shoulders because I wasn't sure what he was trying to tell me.

"You need to invite me in Sookie."

"Oh my goodness, where are my manners! Eric, won't you please come in?" I hoped that worked. I felt a small sigh of relief when it did.

"The bedroom and bathroom are to your right. I believe there is a small balcony attached to the bedroom." he said and I smiled. I took off to my right, and found the bathroom door just before the bedroom. I opened the door to the bathroom and flipped the light in there. Three were more marble countertops, a large mirror, linen closet, toilet, sink, glass shower and a giant tub. There were already towels in there. The walls were rose colored and had more of the white trim along the ceiling and floor. The towels were a soft pink that contrasted the wall color perfectly. I turned and went to check out the bedroom. When I went in and turned on the light, I could have fainted right then and there. The room was a soft yellow, and the white trim along the ceiling and floor flowed into this room as well. The bed was gigantic. I suspected that three or four people could sleep on it easily. There was a night stand on either side and a matching dresser and vanity. They were all wood, solid wood, painted white. It looked old, but beautiful. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I turned to face Eric.

"I don't know how to thank you." I whispered. The sight of my tears seemed to make Eric uncomfortable, so I tried to turn the water works off as quickly as I could. "I'm sorry." I wiped my eyes with my right and hand realized that I still had my folded hospital clothes clutched to my chest. I hadn't even realized I had been holding them this whole time, which would have been since I changed in the restroom at Fangtasia.

Eric noticed to then, or at least, he finally decided to acknowledge them. Without a word he stepped into my bedroom and to the right over to a set of double doors. He opened them up and a light came on to reveal a large walk in closet that was stocked with clothes for every occasion. I dropped my pajamas then and absent mindedly walked into the closet. I heard Eric laugh, but I didn't pay him any attention. I ran my fingers lightly across some of the clothes and felt the water works starting up again. I tried to hide it this time, and suppressed them as best as I could before I turned back to Eric.

"I bet they all fit too." I said with a smile.

"Pam is very adept at shopping, so I'm sure they do. You should find that the dresser is also stocked with anything you may need as far as undergarments and night clothes along with more clothing that she could not fit in the closet. I've had my day man stock the refrigerator with food along with the cabinets. If you find that there is anything lacking, here is his number, you can call him in the morning." Eric pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. "There is a cell phone for you in the living room. It has been activated and I have left the information regarding it's use and your number with it." He reached into his other pocket and produced a set of car keys. "These are to your new vehicle. It is parked in the stall numbered the same as this apartment. It is fully insured and the registration and insurance information are in the glove compartment."

"I don't know how to drive." I said. I hadn't thought about it until I actually saw the car keys.

Eric seemed to chide himself internally, and only a small bit of it flashed across his face for just a millisecond. "Of course. You have been in the hospital." He smiled. "I will teach you later this week. Until then, I will have a car brought to take you to and from work, and shall be at your disposal when needed until you are a licensed driver." He seemed so proud of himself. And a little to excited to teach me how to drive. He extended his hand out again with the keys to my new car. "You should take these for now."

I reached out and took the keys from his hand and had the strongest urge to give him a hug, but I held back. I reminded myself that they didn't like to be touched. "Thank you so much."

"You are very welcome Sookie." Eric said, and turned to leave my bedroom, and I followed him all the way to my front door. He was leaving, and I was suddenly scared. He must have sensed it, smelled it, heard my heart rate and breathing increase. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I've never been alone before." I admitted meekly.

He quirked an eyebrow. "And you are frightened?" he asked, and I shook my head that I was. He stepped directly in front of me and placed his hand on my cheek. I looked up into the blue abyss that was his eyes and he stared right back into mine. "I can stay with you for a while." he said, and I felt my brain tingling again.

"Is that you?" I asked, and his gaze at me intensified. "Are you making my brain feel funny like that? What are you doing?"

"I cannot influence you." he said very matter of fact.

"Influence me?"

"It's also referred to as glamour. Vampires can force their influence on someone. Glamour them. Into doing what they want."

"Is that what you did to the nurses and doctors at the hospital?"

"Yes. But it doesn't seem to work on you. But you feel it?"

"Yeah. It feels like a buzz in my brain."

"But you don't feel compelled to do what I ask?"

"Nope." I said, shaking my head. Eric pursed his lips and his eyebrows furrowed. "Maybe it's because of my telepathy?" I felt like I had to give some sort of a reason with the look he was giving me. Like I was supposed to know why he couldn't glamour me.

"Perhaps." He seemed to let the matter drop then. "I will stay however, if you wish." he said, and wagged his eyebrows at me.

I smiled and lowered my gaze. "I think I will be fine alone this evening Eric."

"Very well." He turned and walked out the door. "I will see you at the club tomorrow night. Ten p.m. I will have a car here to pick you up at nine-thirty." He bowed to me and I found it a little funny so I bowed back. "Good night, Sookie."

"Good night, Eric."

I shut the door behind him and locked it. I took a deep breath and took in my apartment again. I was smiling from ear to ear. "This is to good to be true." I said aloud to myself. I pinched my arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't, and now my arm was sore. I finally stepped away from the door, turning off the lights in the kitchen and then the living room as I made my way to the bedroom. I looked through the dresser for pajamas… but it was all negligees. I laughed out loud to no one but myself, and took a glance over on the floor at my hospital pajamas. "Well, I guess I'm wearing you tonight." I said as I picked them up. I shucked off the clothes I had been given at Fangtasia, tucked them away in the closet since they were still clean, and hopped into bed. I laid there for a bit, switching from one side of the bed to the other, trying to find where I felt most comfortable, then finally deciding on the middle of that great big bed. I thought that it would take me forever that night to fall asleep, even though I was tired, but as soon as I was settled, I was out.


	3. Can We Do This Standing?

**Happy Wednesday!**

**THANK YOU for all your lovely comments. They make me do the happy dance. :)**

**So here's more. I'll post again on Sunday.**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**Snoogans!**

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><p>The next day I woke up just after eleven a.m. I couldn't remember the last time I slept in like that. Probably because I never had before. I stretched out on the bed, and figured I could just lay there for hours. It was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept on. But alas, I had to get up and get ready for the lawyer to come over with the contract that Eric had drawn up. I wondered if this lawyer would be helpful to me and not just in it for Eric. Well, he probably would be. He was Eric's lawyer.<p>

I reluctantly slid out of bed and made a pit stop in the bathroom before I made my way to the kitchen. And when I got in there, I got nervous as all heck. I had no clue how to cook… anything! Darn it. I sighed hard, and opened up the refrigerator. There was milk, eggs, butter, soda, some fruits and veggies, deli meats and cheeses. And I had really no clue what to do with any of them.

I gave up on the fridge and checked the freezer. There were some frozen breakfast pocket things that looked appetizing enough, so I took one out of the package and read the heating directions. I figured out how to work the microwave easier than I thought I would, and in ninety seconds, I had a piping hot breakfast.

I really wanted some coffee though. I was one of a few who was allowed to have coffee in the hospital. It had been deemed that caffeine was acceptable and made my 'craziness' no worse or better. But looking at he coffee machine here, I had no clue how to actually make it myself. So I settled with some orange juice.

Eric had said that the lawyer would be by in the afternoon, but hadn't given a specific time. I figured that it wouldn't hurt to get dressed now. Plus, I was looking forward to trying on some of my new clothes. I cleaned up after myself from breakfast, and then made my way to the bathroom. I stood in the middle of it contemplating on using the shower or the tub. The tub looked like it would be soooo very nice, but I was on a time crunch. At least, that's what I told myself so that I didn't spend the rest of the day in that amazing looking tub. But it's not like I struck out with the shower. It had one of those rain drop shower heads that I had seen so many times on television, and had fantasized about having at the hospital.

I took my time thought, and it was wonderful. I felt cleaner than I had felt for as long as I could remember. It was my shower. All mine. No one else was using it but me. The towels were huge and fluffy and I could have worn that all day long. I almost didn't care if the lawyer saw me in it, or if I wore it to Fangtasia that night.

But when I looked at the clock and saw it was nearly twelve-thirty, I knew that I had to get dressed and stop day dreaming. At least for now. I went into the closet and decided on some jean shorts and a cute little blue shirt that was form fitting and had a v-neck that was modest. I tied my hair back in a pony tail after it dried, and then I went to the living room, found a pad of paper and pen in the small desk in the corner of the room, and sat down to make a list of the things that I was going to need help with.

_1. Cooking_

_2. Making Coffee_

_3. New pajamas_

_4. Laundry?_

_5. Nearest grocery store_

_6. Nearest mall_

It was all that I could think of for now, but it was a lot to think about. I thought for a moment about calling Bobby and finding out if he knew someone who could come help me out. Perhaps a maid that could show me the ropes of basic every day living.

I was lost in thought about how I was going to manage with this whole freedom thing when there was a knock at the door. I couldn't read their mind, which made me nervous. I got up quietly off the couch and tip toed over to the door. There was a peep hole and I stood on my tip toes to look out it. There was a man on the other side, dressed in a business suit, carrying a briefcase. He was composed of circles. He had a round face, a round stomach, and round beady eyes. I took a deep breath and opened the door with a smile on my face.

"Hello. You must be Miss Stackhouse. I'm Mr. Cataliades. Mr. Northman sent me." he said, extending his hand. I returned the gesture.

"Nice to meet you." I said, and quirked an eyebrow. Who was Mr. Northman? "Eric?" I asked, and realized that I hadn't really elaborated on that question, but luckily, he got it.

"Yes. Mr. Eric Northman. I work as his lawyer from time to time. He sent me here with a contract for you to review and sign." he said, and patted his briefcase.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. Mr. Cataliades, please come in." I said, and stepped back so that he could enter. He smiled and made his way in to my apartment, took a quick look around, and then settled at the kitchen table. I closed the door and followed him over to it, taking a seat opposite him. He sure didn't waste time. He already had his case open on the table, and seemed to be looking for the contract, which didn't take him long. He pulled it out, shut his case, and slid the papers over to me.

"Take your time looking those over, and feel free to ask me any questions." I nodded as I took a look at the first page. I read through the contract fairly quickly. It wasn't very complicated and only one item that I had a question on.

"What's this part about taking Eric's blood?" I asked. I squirmed a little. It didn't sound very appealing. Kind of gross to be quite honest. I wasn't a vampire, why would I drink blood?

"That is the one part that Mr. Northman insists that does not change. He wishes you to have his blood in him so that he can have a claim on you."

"A claim on me?"

"This contract only protects you and him so much. This would be recognized in a human court, and by some vampires. But once the news of your gift spreads, there will be others looking to… acquire your talent for their own use. By taking his blood, he'll be able to feel your presence, track you if needed."

"So by working for Eric, I'm putting myself in danger?" I asked. The glamour of all this was starting to fade.

"There is some danger." he admitted quite matter-of-factly.

I took a deep breath. "And what if I don't sign? What if I want out?"

"That's your decision. You understand however that you would need to vacate the apartment immediately. Where you go after that is your choice."

Well hell. What would I do if I didn't sign? Go back to the hospital? Look for my family and hope they took me in? I'd be homeless, jobless, no money, no anything. He'd probably make me get back in my hospital clothes.

And how bad was this contract really? Not bad at all I guessed. I worked four nights a week at Fangtasia listening to the customers and any business Eric had with humans. There was a clause for "events" that I was obligated to attend as long as I was given appropriate advance notice. I would also receive "extra" compensation for said events, to be discussed at the time of notice of the events.

The best part was that I was going to be making ten thousand dollars a month. Well, take home would be around eight after taxes and the amount taken out to cover my rent. And the contract was effective for five years, at which time we could re-negotiate.

The only thing I had to do was take some of Eric's blood. "How much blood?" I asked as I eyeballed the pen. I was very close to signing now.

"Mr. Northman is very old, so it won't take much to establish the link. It will have to be kept up however, so it will be more than once that you will need to take it. How often… that I'm not sure of. You would need to ask Mr. Northman."

"Taking his blood won't make me a vampire?" I asked.

Mr. Cataliades smiled. "No Miss Stackhouse. It won't."

I smiled back and then reached for his pen. I signed my name and pushed the contract back over to the lawyer. He smiled and signed it himself and then packed it away in his briefcase.

"Is there anything else I can do for you Miss Stackhouse?" he asked as he rose from his seat.

"Actually, there is." I rose and got the list I had made before he came. I silently handed it to the lawyer. He looked it over quickly and smiled.

"This is quite a list Miss Stackhouse. I know someone who could help you. They are the daughter of a businessman I know down in New Orleans. She's looking for work right now and a new place to settle. She lost her home and business from Katrina, and is looking to make a fresh start."

"You trust her?"

"Yes. She's a good girl. I think you two would work well together." He reached into his pocked and pulled out a business card. He turned it over and wrote the girls information on the other side and handed it to me. "Last I heard, she had been staying here in Shreveport with the family of a friend, so she may still be here and able to start immediately."

"Thank you so much." I said. Mr. Cataliades smiled and we walked to the door. I saw him on his way, thanking him again.

As soon as the door was shut, I found my cell phone and called the number that Mr. Cataliades had left for me. After two rings, the woman picked up.

"Amelia." she said as she answered.

"Hi, you don't know me, but my name is Sookie Stackhouse. I got your number from a Mr. Cataliades."

"Okay." she said a little hesitantly.

"He recommended you to me because I'm in need of some assistance. I was wondering if you were still in the Shreveport area?"

"What can I do for you?" she asked, sounding a little more business.

"Well, it's a long story, but I'm looking for somewhat of a personal assistant. I need help with… well… everything."

"How about we meet up tomorrow? I can come to your home."

I sighed with relief. I was so worried she would turn me down and I'd be stuck trying to find someone on my own. "That sounds perfect." I gave her my address and we decided that she would come over around two in the afternoon. I didn't want to set up anything to early since I didn't know how long I was going to be out that night working. I thanked her again, and we said our goodbyes. I went to the couch and plopped down with a sigh of relief.

I looked back down at the phone in my hand, and thought about Jason. I wanted to call him, but I had no idea what had happened to him over the last decade. He hadn't kept in touch, and I really had no means of contacting him or finding him from within the hospital. The last time that I had spoken with him was when I was allowed a fifteen minute phone call with him when our Gran had passed away ten years ago. The last that I knew, our Uncle Bartlett had come to get him from the children's home. I didn't know how to get in touch with Uncle Bartlett, and I didn't want to. To many bad memories there.

I decided that if Amelia and I worked together, I would ask her for help in finding my brother, and maybe see if she could take me back to Bon Temps sometime to see my old family home, and Gran's home. I had no clue what had become of either of them. I wondered if a new family was living in either of them. If there was, I hoped that they were having a happier life than I had had in either of those homes. I found that thinking about them gave me a bit of a bitter feeling about it all, so I decided I would just think about it later.

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><p>It was nine fifteen. I was standing outside my apartment building waiting for the car that Eric was sending for me. He said it would be here at nine thirty, and from what I could tell already about the way that Eric did business, the car would be prompt. But I was so nervous, I couldn't help it that I had been ready to go since eight, and that was after spending nearly an hour trying on almost everything in my closet trying to decide what I should wear to work. I finally picked a cute little dress that I thought was very me, but still showed enough skin to fit in at Fangtasia.<p>

It was white with red flowers, it came down to my knees and had tulle under the skirt to give it some volume and bounce. It had straps and a low cut bust line. Not so low that I felt indecent, but low enough to show off my God given assets. I went with a pair of red heels, but packed a pair of flats that rolled up into a little ball because I knew my feet would be killing me. I had heard women joke about it on television, and I had heard and 'heard' some of the nurses complain about it at the hospital. I had pulled part of my hair back and secured it with a red barrette I had found and let the rest of my hair hang around my shoulders and down my back. I eyeballed the makeup, and contemplated trying to apply it myself, but was so scared that I would mess up, I decided to pack it in my purse and bring it with me and ask Pam if she would help.

So here I was, standing outside waiting for the car to come get me. It was a warm evening, but I still brought a red cardigan I had found to put over the dress. While I was comfortable in my apartment walking around without the cover, the thought of going outside with that much exposed skin was daunting.

The car pulled up precisely at nine thirty and the driver got out to open the door for me and help me in. I wobbled a little stepping off the curb and into the back of the car. I could tell it was going to be a long night, and I was already regretting the heels. It was a shorter ride back to Fangtasia than I had remembered from the night before when Eric had taken me to the apartment. But I chalked that up to being nervous.

We stopped at the back of the club, and the driver once again stepped out of the car to open my door and offered his hand to help me out. I wobbled again and he held on to me for a moment. I dared to drop my walls and heard him thinking how sexy I looked and how cute it was that I was wobbling in my heals. He was happy to get the chance to hold on to me so that I didn't fall, but thought about letting me tip just a little so that he could catch me. I smiled at him and thanked him for the ride and headed to the employee entrance.

Once inside, I found my way back to Eric's office, and knocked lightly. I had left my walls down from when I had listened in on the driver, and found that there was a woman in Eric's office. There had been no answer to my nock, but I could tell that the woman was leaving, and a bit sad to be leaving Eric's side. After a moment, the door opened, and a brunette woman stepped out. Her hair was a bit tousled and her dress was black, pleather, tight, and crooked. Her lipstick was a bit smeared and when I caught a glimpse from her mind of what she had just been doing, I threw my walls back in to place.

Eric leaned out the door and turned his head in my direction. He looked a little rosier than I remembered, but I figured that was because he had just eaten, in more ways than one. He smiled at me and then leaned back and offered for me to come in. I returned the smile and he laughed a little before shutting the door behind me. I made my way to one of the chairs that sat in front of his desk because I had caught a glimpse of what had just taken place on the couch and there was no way I was sitting there.

"You look stunning." Eric said as he took a seat behind his desk.

I felt my face flush involuntarily. "Thank you Mr. Northman." I figured since he was officially the boss now, I needed to address him as such.

"Please, call me Eric." he said as he flipped on his computer and stared intently at the monitor.

"I would prefer Mr. Northman." I said shyly. He glanced back over at me and I could tell he seemed a little irritated, but he didn't say anything more. "So what would you like me to do this evening?"

"Tonight I want you to sit in the bar. We have had some trouble over the last few months with underage patrons. The summer is our busiest time, and the occasional fake ID gets past us. There was recently a raid at a similar club a few towns over, and we wish to avoid their same fate."

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Before I go out… is Pam here?"

Eric looked back to me and quirked an eyebrow. "Miss Ravenscroft," he started, and I knew he was being a smarty pants about me insisting on calling him Mr. Northman. "is working the floor."

"Do you think she could help me with something?" I asked a little bubbly.

Eric smiled and closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, he looked at me and smiled. "She's on her way."

What the hall just happened? Did he call her telepathically? "Are you telepathic?" I asked out loud and instantly chided myself for my manners.

Eric simply laughed it off. "I am her maker. I can call to her, and she must obey."

"Oh." I said. It wasn't an intelligent answer, but it was all that I could think to say while I processed that. And while I was, Pam walked into the office. I smiled at her and she returned the gesture, even if it was a little creepy. I realized then that she reminded me of Alice from Alice in Wonderland. A deadly Alice that is.

"Look who's here. My favorite telepath." she said, and went to stand next to Eric.

"Miss Ravenscroft, I was wondering if you could help me with something…" I blushed again. "Could we go to the bathroom?" I asked pulling all the courage that I had.

"Is something wrong?" Eric asked, suddenly concerned.

"No, it's nothing. Really, just a silly girl thing." I said, trying to downplay how dramatic I realized I was being over a little makeup. Ugh, this was not going well.

Thankfully, Pam intervened, and headed to the door, motioning me to follow her. I smiled at Eric and rose, taking my purse and following Pam to the restroom. She locked the door behind us and stood there, arms crossed, waiting for my explanation.

"I was wondering if you could help me with my makeup?" I said meekly, lowering my eyes to my purse packed full of everything I thought I would need. Pam smiled and roller here eyes. She took my purse from me and spilled the contents out on the counter. She looked through my supplies and studied me for a few moments before deciding on some mascara and little shadow and lipstick.

"No foundation?" I asked as she started to apply the mascara.

"You don't need it. You have beautiful skin." She stopped for a moment and smiled at me again, just barely quirking the corner of her mouth. I smiled back. "Now, watch what I'm doing."

I paid close attention, and she was kind enough to offer me tips and tricks and show me how to apply the basics. I had never worn makeup before and I felt so glamorous when I saw the finished product in the mirror. "Thank you." I said once she was done.

She simply nodded and we headed out and back to Eric's office. He lifted his head from his work when we walked in and smiled at the subtle changes. I felt like I had to say something. "I'm sorry about that. I just. I've never worn makeup before, and I didn't know how to apply it. There's actually quite a few things that I don't know how to do. Basic things. So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry if I worried you earlier, and thank you Miss Ravenscroft for your help." I ended with a smile.

Eric burst out laughing. A great deep belly laugh. I felt myself flushing again. I looked to Pam who was trying to hide her amusement at the whole thing, and I personally didn't see what was so funny. "Look, I went from being cared for by my parents to being cared for by my Gran, to living in a mental hospital up to last night. I don't see what's so funny."

That seemed to pull Eric out of his laughing fit, and he got himself back to business mode before you could blink. "You don't need to apologize. I understand that this is all very new to you. Now," he said, looking through a few things on his desk until he found the contract that I had signed with Mr. Cataliades earlier. "Mr. Cataliades dropped this off for me this evening. He said you had no changes." I shook my head that he was correct. "Good. Then, shall we get to work?" he asked.

"Sure."

"You can leave your things in here if you wish. Anything you want from the bar is on the house, but I ask that if you do order alcohol, please be careful not to get drunk. You can understand why."

"Of course." I said. I hung my purse on the coat rack he had in the corner by the door and then shrugged off my cardigan. It was starting to get a little warm, and I was sure it would be warm in the bar with all the body heat and dancing. After I hung it I turned to find Eric and Pam both practically licking their lips and I felt very exposed. I grabbed for my cardigan and Eric was at my side in a flash stopping me.

"Don't." he looked to Pam and they must have done their mind chat thing again, because she left the office quickly and without a word. "Miss Stackhouse, before we go out there, perhaps we should discuss the contract. Specifically about you taking my blood." He was standing behind me and placed his hands on my bare shoulders. He just let them gently rest there, and his cool skin was on the verge of giving me goose bumps. "Come and join me on the couch." he said, and that was what snapped me back to reality. There was no way I was sitting on that couch.

"Can't we do that standing?" I asked, mustering all the strength I could.

"You would be more comfortable if we were sitting." he whispered into my ear.

I turned to face him, and almost lost myself in his blazing blue eyes. They were staring intently into mine now. "Haven't you doet enough entertaining on that couch tonight?" I asked, a little quieter than I meant to, and not as final as I meant it to sound, but he got the idea.

"Have it your way." he conceded. He brought his right index finger to his mouth, popped his fangs out, and pierced his skin. He offered his finger to me. He was still standing where he had been when he came up behind me, so now that I was turned around, we were as close as we could be without hugging. I never broke eye contact with him as I took his hand in mine and brought his finger to my mouth. I licked the little droplet of blood from the tip of his finger and he closed his eyes, then snapped them back open, glaring back down at me. His eyes seemed like they were on fire. It was like four different shades of blue dancing across them. Like a blue flame. "Take a little more." he moaned. "Suck."

I took a deep breath and brought his finger to my mouth, placing just he tip of it at my lips and I took one long draw. Eric wrapped his other arm around my back and pulled me the rest of the way to him. His large hand was resting just above my butt, right at the small of my back. His fingers spread wide as if to touch every single bit of me that he could. It almost sounded like he was growling and I felt something pressing against my lower abdomen. I removed his finger from my mouth and broke our eye contact for the first time to look down, realizing what was pressing against me. He noticed to, and pulled me closer, which I didn't think was possible.

"Mr. Northman, please." I said, but not in a 'Oh please take me now you great big sexy vampire!'. His nostrils flared and he took a deep unnecessary breath before releasing me.

"Go. Pam should be in the booth." He turned and I didn't hesitate to leave the office as quickly as I could. I followed the sound of the music and people and found the bar, and eventually Pam sitting alone in a booth set against the wall on the same side as the front entrance. When you came in, there was a small hallway that opened into the club. The first thing that you came across was the bar, where a vampire was tending. He appeared to have been Native American and had long dark hair and a strong build. To the left of that were some tables and some booths to the left of those, which was where I was sitting now with Pam. Past the tables was a dance floor with some rises where there were vampires and humans wearing hardly anything at all, dancing. And then just past them was a small stage with a throne like chair in the middle of it. To the right of that was a booth where I could see a DJ pumping music into the club.

I looked to Pam and smiled as I took a deep breath and lowered my walls. I was visibly overwhelmed with the sudden rush of information pouring in. Pam raised an eyebrow. "I'm alright." I said and worked hard to drown out all the voices enough that I could sit there and not look like I was in pain, but could still shuffle through the information I was hearing. It's not like I had never been in a crowded room before. Lord knows I was every day at the hospital, and those are some thoughts you really want to keep out. But this was just as bad in another way, and I was doing my best to work through it. I felt dirty and I had only had my walls down for two minutes.

Eric joined us a moment later and slid in the booth next to me. All eyes seemed to follow him the second he had come from the back and stayed on him as he sat next to me. I wish he would have sat next to Pam because the moment he was at my side, I heard nearly all the thoughts shift to me.

It was one thing to have all the nurses and doctors think I was crazy, but the stuff the people here were thinking about me. I visibly shivered. "I need to get out of here." I whispered to Eric. I put my walls back up, but it didn't help. I already knew what was on everyone's mind, and they were all still looking. More so now that I was visibly disturbed and practically itching to get out and away from Eric.

Eric stood and offered me his hand to help me out of the booth. Him and Pam both looked a little confused, and when she started to rise, Eric just motioned for her to stay and he followed behind me as I made my way out the back. I didn't even want to be in the building anymore.

As soon as we were outside I burst into tears. Eric just stood there looking at me. He looked uncomfortable. I wondered if it was because of my crying.

"You signed a contract." he finally said once I got myself under control. Thanks Mr. Sensitive.

"I can't go back in there. I'll do anything you want as long as I don't have to go back in there and listen to those people." I almost started to cry again, but I held it back.

"This is your job Miss Stackhouse."

"Well I quit then." I said breathlessly.

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><p><strong>Oh snap! Oh no I didn't!<strong>

**Oh yes, oh yes I did.**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies! See ya Sunday!**


	4. Eric's In Law Enforcement?

**Hello everyone, happy Sunday!**

**THANK YOU ALL for the lovely reviews! They make me happy. :)**

**So this is a long one. Lots happening. I was originally going to break it up, but I just couldn't. There really wasn't anywhere to without making it to short or awkward.**

**Also... there is a necessary evil starting in this chapter. I hope that you keep reading. This story is tagged as Sookie and Eric, but sometimes you have to kiss some frogs before you find your prince.**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies!**

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><p>"You signed a contract." he repeated, like I didn't know what I had done earlier that day.<p>

"I know I did. And I'm really sorry about that. But I had no clue it was going to be like that. If I did, I wouldn't have taken the job. I would rather listen in on the patients back at the hospital twenty-four hours a day than listen to one more thing from anyone in there." I started to cry again. "How can you stand to be around all those nasty people?" I asked through my tears.

"Money." he said. Short, sweet, and to the point. "Come. It's cold here. We can discuss this in my office." He reached out a hand to me and I took it. He led us back inside and to his office where I took a seat at his desk. He didn't sit behind it however. He took the seat next to mine.

I could tell that he was being nicer to me than he normally would have to anyone else. I could tell that I was trying his patience. I apologized to him.

"You will have to go back out there. But if you wish to regroup here first, that will be acceptable."

He was right. I couldn't just hide here. I promised to do a job, in writing no less. A contract. I should have asked for more detail. I should have had a trial night before I signed. But I was so desperate for the opportunity at my freedom, I signed it all away. "Thank you. I just need a few minutes."

Eric nodded and left me alone in his office. I calmed myself down, made sure my walls were in place, and straightened up my appearance before heading back out to the floor. I walked as confidently as I could, head held high and a small smirk on my face. Pam smiled slightly when she saw me, and scooted over so that I could sit with her this time. I still had my walls in place, and I didn't dare to look out over the people yet, because I could already feel their eyes on me.

"I apologize for earlier. It won't happen again." I said. Eric raised his hand and the waitress I had met the night before was at out table almost instantly.

"Ginger, please bring Miss Stackhouse anything she wishes. It's on the house. Tonight and every night. Make sure Long Shadow and the rest of the waitresses are aware." Eric said. Ginger smiled at him and then turned to me.

"What can I get you sugar?" she asked.

"Water with a slice of orange would be perfect. Thank you." I said and smiled to her.

She nodded and walked away.

"I'm not very familiar with human beverages, but I don't recall ever seeing someone order water with orange. Isn't it usually lemon?" Pam asked.

"I don't much care for lemon." I said. I finally got the nerve to look out at the crowd. Most of the eyes had averted back to whatever they had been looking at before I had come out the first time. Ginger came back with my water a few minutes later and we sat there in silence as I sipped at my drink. When I was comfortable again, I lowered my shields, very carefully, and concentrated on doing the job that I was hired to do.

Eric and Pam watched as I scanned the bar. I guess they could tell what I was doing, and they watched intently. After a while, Eric rose from the booth and Pam moved across from me. I watched Eric head to the stage, all eyes following him, and he took a seat in the throne.

He lounged in it. Slightly slouching, head resting on his hand. He looked bored out of his mind. Almost instantly, woman and men started to approach him. But they did it cautiously. And the second someone got to close, I saw why. A man approached him, kneeling at his feet. I focused on him and found he was hoping that Eric would drink from him. And he was asking Eric the same. This guy had one thing on his mind. Eric hardly glanced at him before he raised his boot to the mans head and pushed him away. The man looked like he was going to cry, but he sulked away, and I had to hold back a laugh at how ridiculous this all was.

So that was what I did all night. Once I figured out how to keep the head chatter to a minimum, and pick out only key words to concentrate on, it wasn't so bad, and I felt even guiltier for freaking out earlier. Pam had stayed with me for a while, but eventually got up to replace the vampire who had been checking ID's and taking cover charge at the door. So I sat in the booth by myself, and I listened and I drank my water with orange.

And then I picked up on something. I looked to Eric, who was charming the panties right off some girl wearing a red pleather halter top and a barely there mini-skirt of the same shade. I just stared at him. I was willing him to look at me, but it was no use. He was to wrapped up. I looked over to see if I could find Pam at the door, but she was no where to be seen. "Shoot." I said to myself. I had to go warn Eric.

I slid out of the booth and slowly made my way to the stage. Eric turned to me just as I got to the foot of the state and I smiled at him. He offered no excuse as he rose and came to my side, walking us back over to the booth. "What is it?" he asked very seriously.

"The man that you pushed away earlier," I started, waiting for Eric to remember, but he didn't seem to at all. He just looked puzzled, like he is supposed to remember every person he kicks away with his boot. "He's in the bathroom right now with a female vampire. And she's going to feed on him, and he's going to let her take to much. But there's also cops here." I whispered. "The man over there, with the "Federal Booty Inspector" hat. He's undercover. He's looking for anything to give him an excuse to raid this place, and he's about to go into the men's room. Which is where Mr. Desperate from earlier is in the middle of being bitten."

"I'll take care of this. Go to my office. You will find the keys to my car in the top drawer of my desk. Take them and go sit in my car. If you see people start running out of the club, drive away." he said, and started to turn away but I reached out and grabbed his arm. He whipped back around to me. "Just do it. And don't touch me like that again, do you understand?" he practically growled at me.

I shook my head and did as I was told. I found his keys easily enough and grabbed my things and headed out to his car. I was so scared. Not of the raid, but of having to drive away. I was sitting behind the wheel of a corvette. It was expensive, and it was the boss's car. I couldn't drive. I was mostly scared of getting in an accident and wrecking the car, and hurting myself.

I just sat there, hands glued to the wheel, heart racing, and staring out the window and down the drive to where the customer parking was, watching for people to start running out. Which is why I nearly jumped out of my skin and accidentally hit the horn when Eric knocked on the window.

"Damn it!" I shrieked and Eric laughed. He opened the door and took my hand to help me out. Getting out of a corvette in heels and a dress was difficult, and I was thankful for the assistance. "What happened?" I asked.

"Mr. Desperate is still alive and the cop has left, quite satisfied that there was nothing here to constitute a raid." He let go of my hand and took his keys, shutting the car door and locking it. He walked to the back door and held it open for me. Just as I got to the door, I did what I was dreading all evening. I lost my footing in the heels and started to topple over.

But I never hit the ground. Eric, lightning fast, let got of the door and scooped me up. "I've never worn heels before." I laughed, but Eric didn't. He just stared at me, and I started to get uncomfortable. I wiggled a little hoping that he would get the clue and let me loose, but he didn't. "You can set me down now." I finally said.

But he was looking at me so intently. "Yield to me." he said. Yield to him? What the heck did that mean?

"No." I said in much to shaky a voice. I cleared my throat and tried again. "No, Mr. Northman." I still sounded shaky. He finally let me loose, but didn't seem to happy about it. He led us back inside, and I headed back out to the club and Eric went to his office and slammed the door.

I went to the booth and found Pam sitting there waiting for me. "He's an excellent lover." she said as I took a seat. I instantly flushed and she laughed.

"Well that's good for him then." I whispered. "Can we not talk about it?"

"You should be honored that he wants to have sex with you."

"From what I saw earlier, it seems like I'd just be another fangbanger." I was so over this conversation, and starting to get a little mad.

"He won't feed from you. He's going to be giving you his blood. He won't risk bonding with you. So you wouldn't be a fangbanger."

"Bonding?" I asked, trying to change the subject. But Pam wasn't having it.

"You are a virgin. He would be an excellent first lover." she said. I was mortified. How did she know I was a virgin? Did Eric know? Geeze! Well, I guess maybe it was an assumption because of where I grew up, but really, this was a little embarrassing.

"Did he ask you to try to convince me to have sex with him?" I asked. He didn't seem like he needed someone to convince women to have sex with him. After what I saw tonight, they all seemed to practically throw themselves at him.

"Of course not. We're having girl talk. I've read about it in Dear Abby. I don't know any human females that I care to discuss such matters with."

I laughed a little at the thought of her reading Dear Abby. "Well, I'm more than happy to have girl talk with you Miss Ravenscroft, but I'm not comfortable talking about my love life. Not with you, and not with anyone. That's my own personal business."

"Fine." she pouted. "And call me Pam. It's cute that you two are calling each other by your last names, but I am not your employer, Eric is. So you may call me Pam."

I sighed. "Fine. Pam. Do you want to have girl talk about something else?"

She pondered me for a moment before she spoke. "I like you." she said, and then got up and went back to working the door.

I sat in the booth by myself the rest of the night. When last call came, Pam came back to the booth to tell me I could go home. She followed me to Eric's office and I gathered my things. "Wait here until the car comes." she said, and went back out the door, leaving me alone in Eric's office. I stretched and yawned. Listening in on everyone tonight, all the excitement and drama from earlier, had really tuckered me out. I sat down on one of the chairs in front of his desk to relax.

"Sookie." I heard a voice over me. I moaned a little in protest to having to wake up. "Sookie." the voice said again, and I felt a hand caress my cheek. I leaned in to it and sighed.

Then I realized that this was strange. I opened my eyes and found Eric laying in bed next to me. I shot up and screamed before his hand covered my mouth and pulled me back to him but he didn't do anything. I caught my breath and started to speak but it was muffled due to his hand. He removed it and I scowled at him.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I tried to wake you at the bar, but you would not rise. I decided to take you home myself. You slept the entire way back."

"Why can't you take no for an answer?" I asked, feeling defeated.

"No one has ever said no to me before. I find that I'm… puzzled by your response." He leaned in and smelled me, nuzzling his nose against my neck. My whole body tingled. "I can tell you are attracted to me." he practically purred into my flesh. He inhaled again. "I can tell you want me."

"You're a cad, Eric Northman." I hissed. "And I'm not that kind of girl." It took all my resolve to get out of bed. Eric rolled to his back, and I noticed his chest was bare. His muscles rippled a little as he put his hands behind his head, still lounging. I refocused and went back to looking at his face.

"And what kind of girl are you Sookie Stackhouse?"

"I'm not the kind that just jumps into bed with a man I hardly know." I said those words, but felt completely different. I hadn't really ever felt this way before. I really kind of wanted to hop back in the bed with him.

"Well then come here and we can get to know each other." He smirked. Smirked! He even wagged his eyebrows at me.

"Ohhhh… you!" I was so frustrated. I stomped right out of my room and into the kitchen. I heard Eric laughing as I grabbed a glass of water. He came into the kitchen a moment later and leaned back against the counter.

"Tell me what you want from me." he said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"You can have any girl you want. Go bug someone else." I took another sip of water and poured the rest out in the sink. I rinsed my glass and set it out to dry.

"I like a challenge."

"I'm not some challenge you can win. You realize you're just making this worse."

"Well then tell me what you want." His voice was smooth like it had been when I first met him. I realized it was oozing sex.

"When I'm ready, I want to date someone. I want to be treated like a lady."

"I am a thousand years old. I don't date." he said, a little irritated now.

I rolled my eyes. "Well then I guess we have nothing more to discuss. Good night Mr. Northman." I said, opening the front door for him. He smiled as he walked past me and out the door.

"Good night, Miss Stackhouse." he chuckled as he left.

* * *

><p>The next day right at two p.m. there was a knock at my door. I reached out with my mind and found it was a young woman, about my age. It was Amelia. I made my way to the door and peephole, not that I needed to, but it was fun, because I never had to do that before, and now I could. I smiled to myself and opened the door. Amelia, as I had expected, looked to be about my age. She had short chestnut hair and bright blue eyes. She was tan and wearing khaki shorts and a light blue t-shirt that made her eyes pop.<p>

"Hi, you must me Sookie. I'm Amelia." she said smiling, extending her hand. I shook it and welcomed her in.

"Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?" I asked, not forgetting my manners.

"I could go for a coke." she said, and I grabbed one out of the fridge for her and for myself. I joined her at the table and we both took a sip. "So, you're looking for a personal assistant?"

"Not really. What I need is a teacher I guess. Someone to show me how to do the everyday basics." Gosh, this was embarrassing. But she seemed nice, and she was a good broadcaster, so from what I was already getting from her. "I'm telepathic. Because of that, I spent the last thirteen years in a mental hospital. Until two nights ago anyways. I'd been there since I was eleven. I don't know how to cook or do laundry. I can't drive and I'm not familiar with this area at all."

Amelia's eyes were wide. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. If I hadn't gotten her number from "Mr. C", she wouldn't have believed it was true.

"You call him Mr. C?" I asked. It sure was a lot easier than saying his name. She realized that I had heard what she had thought.

"Wow. That's pretty neat!" She smiled. "Do it again. Tell me what I'm thinking now."

I laughed because no one had ever reacted that way to me before. Never. It was funny. She was thinking that she wanted the job, and was wondering what the pay was.

"If you want it, it's yours. I'm not sure what would be a fair wage though I'm afraid." I took another sip of my coke.

"Fifteen an hour?"

"Sounds fair. This will only be temporary you know. I just need to learn the basics."

"That's fine. When do I start?" she smiled. I really liked her.

"Well, how about now? I could really go for some coffee." I admitted staring longingly at the unused coffee machine. Amelia giggled a little.

"Well alright then. I'm on the clock." She stood up and went to the counter. "Come on over. It's time for Coffee 101"

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><p>The first two weeks flew by. I worked four nights in a row my first week, had three off, and then came back to work four more. It was basically Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The club was closed on Mondays, and Eric said that business was slow enough on Tuesday and Wednesday that he didn't worry about needing me there those days. He figured anyone underage wouldn't be in the club those nights anyway because of school or curfews.<p>

After that first night of work for him, his advances stopped. I can't say I was entirely pleased about it either. Sure, I was stand-offish about it those first two nights, turning him down, but the truth was, after it stopped, I missed the attention. I had never gotten attention like that before, which was part of the reason I pushed away I think. I was scared. I didn't know what to do!

I had never even been kissed for crying out loud.

See, this is what happens when you grow up in a mental institution.

I thought about flirting with Eric, seeing if I could get him to make another advance at me, but the sad truth was that I had no idea how. And I was scared to death of making a complete fool of myself. I had confidence, don't get me wrong, but there are just some things that are scary to do no matter what.

I was also worried about being rejected. That's what being given up to the state and then a mental hospital will do to you. It was one of the few serious things that I got to talk to my doctor about. Guess who has abandonment issues! Anyway, I was worried that if I actually did get the flirting thing right, that Eric would still turn me down because I had turned him down those first two nights.

I also felt a little guilty about it. I mean, he was gorgeous, and I had said it before, and I'll say it again, he probably had never been turned down once in his thousand year existence.

I say I'm scared of rejection, and I am, but one of the other things that stopped me from approaching Eric on the subject again was that he had made it clear that he didn't date. Which meant that there was only one thing he wanted from me. Mrs. Marie had once told me boys only had one thing on their mind, and with Eric, I had found that to be true.

Over the last two weeks, each night that I had come to the bar, there was a new girl that he was entertaining. And I don't mean having a dinner party. Well, I guess it was a dinner party, for him. And the girl was the dinner. I found out quite quickly to block out Eric's girl of the night, because he did the same thing with all of them. He had sex with them, and he fed from them, and then it seemed like he never saw them again. He had a few regulars which consisted of Ginger and Molly. But he only went to them when it was slim pickings at Fangtasia that night, and he usually went for Molly first. And I didn't blame him either. She was gorgeous compared to Ginger.

So in the end, I was worried that if I ever got up the nerve to flirt with Eric, he'd reject me. And if I ever did get up the nerve and he didn't reject me, he'd use me like he did Ginger and Molly. And that's not what I wanted from my first encounter with a guy. Vampire or not.

The other thing that I had partly learned in the hospital, but mostly learned from working at Fangtasia was that I probably would never be able to date a regular guy. Hearing what a guy was thinking about you while he flirted and made advances was SO not fun. My third night at the club I got hit on by what seemed like a nice young gentleman. Until I saw what he was thinking about doing to me. I threw my glass of water with orange in his face, and got a good laugh from Pam, but a very stern talking to from Eric about how to treat the customers since I was a human, and supposed to be "undercover", although, all the regulars at this point were starting to recognize me, and wondered what I was up to.

Every now and then there was the guy I would run across in the crowd who was hard to read. It was never really words that I got from them. Mostly colors or feelings, flashes of things, but hardly ever anything clear cut. If I had any chance at dating or marrying a human, they would be my best bet.

My other option, which I actually was finding that I preferred, was vampires. I couldn't hear a peep from them. Not one thing. Only, I was rarely approached by one, and the bar tender, Long Shadow, had told me it was because I smelled like Eric. It was because he was giving me a small amount of his blood each night that I worked at Fangtasia.

Outside of work I had Amelia. We were becoming fast friends, and I really enjoyed her company. She was funny and kind, and she was teaching me lots of stuff. I felt comfortable in the kitchen now, I could make my own coffee in the morning, and I could do my own laundry. She had taken me grocery shopping and taken me to the mall where I picked out a couple pairs of pajamas that weren't so scandalous.

I was still paying her, and she came to help me now on the days that I didn't have to go into Fangtasia to work. But I had a feeling the time would soon come when I wouldn't need her as a teacher anymore, and as it was, I was thinking of the most random things to keep her around. She really did need the money, even though she wouldn't admit it to me, I could still read it from her when she thought I wasn't listening.

I hoped that we would still remain friends when this job had obviously run it's course. I guess you can see my fear of rejection here too.

I did have an idea of how I could keep her around, but it would be a last ditch, no other options, option. I wanted to have her help me find Jason.

I didn't know how I felt about finding him though. I could at least find out where he was, what had become of his life. It wasn't like he was a bad brother. I mean, we got along pretty well when we were little. When he got into his teen years and started to rebel, I suddenly didn't seem very important to him anymore.

I knew he loved me and cared about me, because I could hear it in his mind, but he would never admit it out loud. And when he was starting to go through those awkward teen years, he said a lot of mean things to me. It hurt a lot at the time, because besides Gran, he was all I had. But now, I understood that it would have been hard to have a sister like me, a telepathic sister who didn't know exactly how to deal with the cards that she had been dealt.

I still had trouble sometimes back then remembering to only answer things that came out of someone's mouth, and not what I heard them thinking. So he lost a few friends, got labeled weird at school because of me, and so he acted out and did crazy things to make sure he stayed popular at school for what he thought were the right reasons.

In the end, I felt like he resented me. He had hardly even spoken with me during the one phone call I did get from him when Gran died, and after he became an adult and would have been able to go on his own, he had never come to visit me.

So here it was, Thursday night, and I was about to start my third week at Fangtasia. I got ready for work that night, picking a navy blue dress from my closet. It looked like something Lucy Ricardo would wear on I Love Lucy. It was just below the knees, buttoned up the front and had a petty-coat underneath so that it flared out. The top of the neck was like the collar of a mans button up shirt, and the sleeves came to just past my elbows. I added a thick black belt to it, and black pumps that weren't nearly as high as the ones I had chosen the first night I worked at Fangtasia. I added a necklace that I found that was white beads about the size of gumballs and I tied my hair up at the back of my head into a messy-chic bun.

That was one thing I was good at all on my own from day one of my freedom from the hospital. Styling my hair. There wasn't much to do at the hospital after a while, so I kept myself busy by copying styles that I would see on television. I got pretty good at it, and sometimes the nurses would have me put their hair up for them in intricate designs.

I grabbed a black purse from my closet, transferred my belongings from the one I had used the night before and headed out to the curb to wait for my ride.

When I got to Fangtasia I went straight to the floor. I looked around for Pam and spotted her checking ID's at the front door. She smiled when she saw me and waived me over. I stood next to her while she did her work.

"Don't you look just lovely tonight. I love that dress." she said as she waived a couple of college girls though.

"Thanks. I like it too." I said, smoothing out the skirt.

"Have a seat at the booth. Eric will be out shortly." she said, and I nodded as I headed over to Eric's reserved booth. I got my options when I worked, and I could either sit there, at the bar, or at a table if there was one free so that I didn't stand out to much. I was supposed to blend, but it was obvious to most of the regulars after the first few nights that I was working for Eric in some capacity, but exactly how, they didn't know.

Eric hadn't really spoken to me after my second night here. I mostly went through Pam if there was an issue, and she would involve Eric only if it was necessary, and that only happened once when there was a vampire looking to cause a fight with another vampire over a dispute about a "pet". I had only picked up on it through the human companion, or "pet" as they had been referred to. They seemed to want to have a vampire fighting over them. They thought it would give them some credibility. Gross.

I did see Eric every work night however. Because like I said, he was still feeding me small amounts of his blood. But we didn't speak, and it was over quickly. And if he was aroused at all like he had been that first time, he was hiding it. Never holding me close enough to feel it like I had the first time. That thought sent a shiver down my spine.

"What has you all worked up?" Eric asked as he took a seat. I had been so caught up in my own thoughts, I hadn't even seen him come up to the booth.

"It's nothing." I said, shrugging my shoulders. Eric didn't even seem to care about my answer, because his eyes were already watching some hot young thing out on the dance floor. I cleared my throat. "You wanted to see me?"

Eric pulled his attentions away from little miss hot stuff long enough to meet my eyes before he answered. "There is a situation I require your assistance with. I will need you to stay after the club closes next Thursday night."

I was happy to see that he was considering our contract and making sure that he gave me advance warning about needing me to stay late Sunday. But it's not like I had a hot date after work anyway. I could tell that our conversation was done because he went back to eyeballing the girl again. She was aware now, and went from dancing with the guy she appeared to have come with to dancing towards Eric. His skin wasn't rosy when he came out, so I could tell he hadn't "entertained" in his office yet that night.

I felt a little pang of jealousy.

"I was wondering… since it's kind of slow right now and all… would you teach me how to drive?" I asked.

He didn't turn his attentions from the girl when he answered. "Have your human friend teach you." he said.

"I've been in a car with her, she's not a very good driver. I was hoping that your offer still stood?" I was trying my best not to sound desperate. He finally looked over to me.

He looked so frustrated. Like I was exasperating him and he didn't now how to deal with it. He took a deep, unnecessary breath. "Fine. Go out back, I'll be there in a minute."

I smiled and refrained from making the little scene I wanted to over my little victory. I looked over at the girl he had been watching and wanted to stick my tongue out at her, but I held that back too. I scooted out of the seat and practically skipped out the back door.

Eric emerged a couple of minutes later and caught me bouncing around the parking lot. He smiled. It was the first time I'd seen him smile at me in two weeks. He motioned for me to follow him to a light blue Prius. "Who's car is this?" I asked.

"Pam's. I told her we were borrowing it for a little while."

"I thought she drove that mini-van you picked me up in that first night."

"No. We borrowed that car." he said with a sly grin. I wasn't sure "borrowed" was the right word, but I didn't care very much.

He clicked a button on the keys and the car beeped twice and I heard the doors unlock. He handed them to me, and opened the door for me. I slid in and he came around to the passenger side.

"What the hell is this?" I asked, holding up a small rectangle thing.

"That's the key." he laughed. "Most cars don't have a key like that, and the gear shift is different, but the basics are the same."

He showed me where to put that thing he called the key and how to start the car. He worked with me to adjust my mirrors and seat and how to work the lights and blinkers and all the other things I was going to need for the driving test.

"Alright, what I want you to do is put your foot on the break, and put the car in drive, leaving your foot on the break." he said, and for some reason, he seemed nervous. I wasn't though. I was excited! I was about to drive for the first time!

I did as he said, and we sat there for a moment. "Okay, take your foot off the break, but don't put it on the gas. We can idle through the parking lot for a moment while you get used to the feeling." I did as he said, and off we went, at a whopping eight miles an hour. I went up and down each isle, breaking slightly as I made my turns, never putting my foot on the gas. This driving thing wasn't so hard.

"Okay, now lets go around the block. Are you ready?" he asked. Now I was nervous. I was happy it was night, and there weren't as many cars out. I shook my head that was ready. I drove us over to the driveway and stopped just before the street. He had me check my mirrors and down each side of the road, and then he had me pull out into the street. "Step on the gas." he said, and I did. The car jerked as the pedal reached the floor, and we started to speed off. "Not so hard!" he nearly yelled. I just laughed. I took my foot off the gas and then put it back on, but gently this time.

"Oh my gosh, I'm driving…" I said as we made our way around the block for the first time.

"Another lap?" he smiled at me.

"Oh yes!" I squealed.

So that's what we did for the next hour. We drove around the block a few times, and then he took me down a few other streets. I was having so much fun, and this driving thing wasn't to hard either.

I was a little heart broken when he said we had to get back. I pulled the car back into the parking lot and drove around the back and parked the car where it had been with Eric's help.

"That was fun." I smiled at him as we sat in the parked car. "I don't think I've had fun like this… well, ever. Thank you."

"That was, fun." He said fun like it was an uncommon word in his vocabulary.

We sat there in silence for a moment. I was worried he'd get out of the car and he would go back in and go back to being the Eric that ignored me. "So what did you need me to stay late for next Thursday?" I asked. I started to fiddle with the Fangtasia keychain that Pam had.

"Someone has stolen thirty thousand dollars from me." he said, a hint of anger in his voice. Oh great, figures I pick the worst subject to keep him here in the car with me.

"And you want me to read some of the employee's." When he told me his problem, I guess pretty easily where this was headed.

"Exactly." he said, and I waited for him to say something else. And he did, but not what I wanted him to. "We should go back in." He got out of the car and came around to open my door for me and help me out. He took my hand to help me out, and after he did, I let go reluctantly. He didn't notice. Instead, he took the keys from me and headed back to the club. Before he opened the door he stopped and turned to me. "If you like, I can pick you up on Monday night. You can practice in your own car."

I smiled brightly. "That sounds great." I flushed. I didn't realize that real life was this hard and embarrassing. "I'll see you then I guess." I lowered my eyes to the ground and watched my foot as I shuffled around a piece of gravel.

Then I felt Eric place his finger under my chin and raise my face back up to look at him. Only, I was met with his puzzled looking face. "Is there something wrong Miss Stackhouse?"

Great. Why did I ever insist me call me that again? "No, Mr. Northman. I'm fine." I said with the best smile I could muster.

It didn't seem like he took that as the truth, but he didn't push me any further on it. He opened the door, and I walked back down the hall towards the floor, and he followed me for a moment, then paused for a minute, and walked back to his office.

Instead of going back to the booth, I had a seat at the bar and Long Shadow brought me my usual water with orange. I pushed it away.

"Want something stronger?" he asked. I nodded and he laughed. He grabbed a bottle of something and then used the soda tool thing he had behind the bar and mixed me a drink. He placed it on a napkin in front of me and then stood there with his arms crossed. I picked up the drink and took a hesitant sip. Not bad.

"What is it?"

"You look like a Gin and Tonic kind of girl." He smiled as I took another sip. I repeated the name of the drink to myself a few times.

I sat there at the bar, nursing my Gin and Tonic. I had turned around so that I was facing the dance floor. I watched everyone dancing, gyrating against each other very provocatively. Some seemed to almost be having sex on the dance floor. I rolled my eyes and was starting to turn around to face the bar again when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I hadn't even felt someone approaching me, and when I looked at the man, I understood why. Vampire.

"Hi." I said, offering a half hearted smile.

"Good evening Miss. May I buy you a drink?" he said, motioning to my nearly empty glass.

"Oh, no thank you." I smiled to him. I took my first good look. He was a little taller than me, had dark brown hair, that was parted to one side, and chocolate brown eyes. He also had a southern accent. I wondered when he had been turned. He had a nice smile, and a fit body. He was wearing dark jeans, a dress shirt in dark blue, and a black leather jacket.

"May I have a seat?" he asked, motioning to the empty bar stool next to me.

"Sure." I said. I was suddenly very nervous. Was I being hit on?

"My name is Bill. Bill Compton."

"I'm Sookie Stackhouse." I said, and almost extended my hand, but stopped myself at the last minute. "Your last name sounds so familiar. I think my Gran lived next to a man named Compton."

"Is that so? Where about?"

"Bon Temps. You know the town?"

"I do. That is where my family and myself are from. When I was a human, I lived next to the Stackhouse family. The home I once resided in was most recently occupied by a relative of mine. Jesse Compton."

"What a small world." I smiled to him.

"Small indeed." he said. I sipped the last of my drink. Long Shadow came back over and offered me another but I declined, opting for my water with orange. He brought Bill a True Blood. "So what brings you to Fangtasia this evening? You don't look like you belong here." I saw him take a whiff of the air. He tried to do it as subtle as possible, but I still caught it. He eyed me. He picked up on Eric's blood running through me. I was glad we hadn't exchanged tonight yet, because it would have been stronger, and Bill might not have come to sit with me in the first place.

"I work here." I said. This discussion had come up the previous week when one of the regulars actually spoke to me. Per Eric, it was alright if I said I worked here, and that if someone asked specifics, I was a consultant. That was the only detail I could give. Luckily, Bill didn't ask any more questions about my employment.

We chatted for a while, Bill and I. It was nice. It was nice to have someone approach me and not be scared off by Eric's scent lingering all over me. (At least, that's what I figured it was like judging by some of the reactions from the other vampires when they got near me.) I had a hard time at first holding our conversation and listening in on the customers, but after about twenty minutes, I found a good balance. This was great practice.

"Would you care to dance?" Bill asked, catching me off guard.

I didn't know how to dance. I never had before. Sure, I pranced around my room sometimes when I was at the hospital, while thinking of a song I had heard on television, but this was different. People were watching. "Oh, I don't dance. But thank you." I smiled.

"Nonsense, I'm sure you dance divinely." he said, extending his hand to me. Well, here goes nothing. Nothing gained or something like that, right? I took his hand, and he walked us to the dance floor. I couldn't even tell you what song was playing, but it had a slow tempo. I didn't really know any artists or songs. Mental hospital, ya know?

Bill pulled me to him, and took my right hand in his left. He wrapped his right arm around my back, holding his hand just above my butt. It was a little lower than I would have thought appropriate, but it didn't exactly make me uncomfortable. I felt wanted. I put my left arm around to his back, but I had my arm wrapped up so that my hand was resting on his shoulder blade.

Bill was leading us around slowly. I didn't really need to do much work other than try not to step on his toes, which I did a few times at first, but he told me to relax, and once I did, it wasn't so hard.

"You're a natural." he said when the song ended. I snorted. Another song started, a little more upbeat, and he let go of our current position, and went to put his hands on my hips. "May I?" I looked around and saw the way the other customers were gyrating, and looked back at Bill and nodded my head. He placed his hands on either side of me, and pulled me back to him. We started to gyrate just like everyone else on the dance floor. Bill was setting the rhythm for our movements, and once I had the hang of it, he let go but wrapped his arms around my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

We danced like that for two whole songs before I had enough. Dancing was tiring and I was not in the best shape. Bill walked us off the dance floor and back over to the bar. Long Shadow met me right away with a fresh water with orange, and Bill ordered another True Blood.

We both sipped our drinks and stood there silent for a few minutes before Bill finally spoke. "I'd like to take you out sometime, away from here, if that is acceptable?"

"Oh how cute. Compton's asked you on a date." I heard Pam say from behind him. I jumped a little because she startled me. Bill turned to her and smiled, although it didn't look genuine. "Bill, haven't seen you around in a while."

"I've been in New Orleans." he said, keeping his back to me.

"I hear you're mainstreaming." she said, and I saw Bill nod. "How boring." she sighed and checked her nails. "You come to check in?"

"Yes. Is the sheriff available?" Bill said, scanning the club, but not finding whoever this sheriff person was.

"He'll see you now. He's in his office." And with that, Pam walked away, back to man the door. Bill turned back to me.

"Miss Stackhouse, I will return shortly." he said, and bowed slightly before walking away. I watched as he went into Eric's office.

"I didn't know Mr. Northman was in law enforcement." I said to Long Shadow as he came back to me behind the bar. He just laughed. I didn't get it.

* * *

><p>Shortly for Bill turned out to be nearly forty five minutes. It was almost closing, and I was heading out of the ladies room. I only had the one drink, but it made me feel funny, and after I went to the restroom when Bill first went to Eric's office, I had been back two more times. It was weird, because I hadn't drank that much water tonight. No more than usual. Long Shadow told me that humans refer to it as "breaking the seal". I didn't get that either, but it sounded nasty.<p>

I watched Bill and Eric walk out from down the hall and Eric went to his booth while Bill came back to me at the bar. I watched Eric watch Bill come over to me.

"I apologize. That took longer than expected." he said once he was back in front of me. His voice drew my attentions away from Eric, but I kept glancing over at him as Bill spoke. Eric was watching us. I wondered if he could hear us. "I hope it did not dissuade you from agreeing to go out with me?" I wasn't aware that I had agreed in the first place. I took one final look at Eric, who seemed to be chuckling to himself.

He stopped when I agreed to the date. "I would love to. I'm off Monday through Wednesdays." I smiled at Bill. I pulled out a pen and grabbed a napkin from the bar. I wrote my number down and handed it to Bill. "Call me and we can set something up."

Bill smiled and took my hand, removing the napkin, but bringing my hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss. "It was a pleasure Miss Stackhouse. Enjoy the rest of your evening." He bowed to me one last time and left the bar.

No sooner was he out the door than I noticed Eric summoning me to his booth. I took my water and had a seat across from him.

"What did Bill say to you while he was here?" he asked. He seemed pissed. It was radiating off him. I was utterly confused.

"Nothing. Why?"

Eric's gaze caught mine, and we were locked in a staring match. There was no way I would lose. Not with those beautiful blue eyes hypnotizing me. Oh geeze, what was I thinking? I just agreed to a date with someone else, and here I was fawning over Eric, who didn't give me a second glance normally.

I was right though, he broke first, and his eyes scanned the club. "You're dismissed for the evening." he said, and I started to slide out of the booth, but he caught my hand. "Go to my office first."

I forgot I hadn't taken his blood tonight. Normally I didn't mind. But his current mood made me feel weary and I didn't know why. I nodded to him however, and made my way back to his office. He followed shortly after. He didn't say a single word, which wasn't unusual. He popped his fangs out, but instead of pricking his finger like he always did, he moved to stand behind me. I heard his flesh tear a little, and then he brought his wrist around to me. I turned my head to look up at him, keeping my back to him.

"What are you doing?" I asked, a little frightened. Was he trying to turn me?

"I need to leave for a few days. I want you to take more of my blood tonight."

What the hell? "Where are you going?" I asked, and watched as his wrist closed up. He exhaled as if he was irritated. He brought his wrist back to his mouth and bit again, only this time, he practically shoved it in my face.

"Drink!"

Well fine then. I latched on, and with my first draw he wrapped his left arm around my waist and pulled me against his body. He grunted and moved suggestively against me. It was terrible. This wasn't what I wanted at all. I wanted him to ask me to dance like Bill had. I wanted him to take me on a date like Bill was going to.

I didn't want some little fling in his office. I wasn't that kind of girl, and I knew that for sure. I was sad thinking bout all the things that I wanted from Eric that it didn't seem like I would ever get. Amelia told me that vampires weren't capable of what I wanted from Eric, but I told her she was wrong. I saw something in him that had told me otherwise. At least, I thought I had.

But if Eric wasn't capable of that, it seemed like maybe Bill was.

I took two more deep draws. Getting this much of his blood all at once, I could really taste it now. It was sweet in a way. Not what I had expected. I dropped Eric's wrist as the wounds closed on that last pull of his blood, and tried to step away from him, but he was holding me tight. I wasn't going anywhere. One of his hands came up and snapped my necklace right off me. He lowered his head to the nape of my now very exposed neck. I felt him inhale and it sent a chill and a very strange sensation all over my body. I felt like I was going to betray myself if he did that again. I closed my eyes as he wrapped his other arm around me.

And then I felt his fangs scrape my neck, and I was hurtled back to reality. "Please don't bite me." I whispered. I could feel tears welling up. I did everything I could to hold them in.

"You smell like Compton." he said into my neck. I begged to differ. Every encounter I had had with a vampire told me I smelled like Eric.

"I don't see how it's any of your business." I almost snapped, but I re-evaluated my tone before I said it as harshly as I had wanted to, and it came out flat and even.

He pulled me to him even closer, which I didn't think was possible, but evidently was. He placed a gentle kiss on my neck before releasing me. Almost any other time in the past two weeks, it may have been welcome, but right now, it was the furthest from it. I spun on my heel to face him, and used every ounce of control I had not to slap him for his crass behavior with me. He was staring at me just as intently. But I wasn't lost in his eyes like I had been only minutes earlier. I broke our eye contact and picked up my purse. I headed to the door and as I opened it, Pam was standing just outside. I said goodnight as politely as I could, and as I walked out, I heard Eric telling her to bring Ginger.


	5. It's Funny When I Cry

**Oh I just couldn't help myself. Here's a little more. Shorter than the last few, but hey, it's something before Sunday right? :D**

**Anywho, THANK YOU for the awesomeness! I'm glad that ya'll seemed pretty accepting of the last chapter and I'm loving all the LOVE! You guys rock my socks, as usual. :)**

**So just like last time, gotta kiss a few frogs before you find your prince. **

**I know everyone was concerned about Bill being Sookie's first again... for, well, EVERYTHING! The answer to one of those is answered in this chapter.**

**I forgot this last time, so I say it for now, and chapter 4:**

**CHARLAINE HARRIS OWNS THE CHARACTERS AND WHATNOT**

**(and she rocks MY socks)**

**Snoogans!**

* * *

><p>The next day Amelia came over and we headed to the roof of my apartment building. There was a deck up there with lounge chairs. We had gone to the mall the previous week after I had discovered the sun deck and she helped me pick out a bikini. I had found that sun bathing, while unhealthy, had quickly become my new favorite past time. And I enjoyed doing it alone, or with Amelia's company.<p>

We had been on the roof about thirty minutes and I had regaled her with the events of the previous evening.

"And then I leave his office, and he calls for Ginger." I sighed and turned over on to my stomach. Amelia followed suit.

"What a jackass." We both folded our arms under our heads and turned our faces to each other.

"It's not him. It's me. I'm a fool." I sighed.

"No you aren't Sookie Stackhouse! Why is it wrong for you to want something more than a feed and fuck?"

"Amelia! Language." I giggled. I rarely cursed, and I despised the really foul words. I think Amelia was just saying them now to get a rise out of me.

"Well, it's true. If he's as hot as I've heard, I don't blame you for wanting him. Hell, I want him and I've never even seen the guy. But I've also heard about his reputation. There's only one thing, well, two things that he wants from you. Blood and sex."

"So what do you think about Bill?"

"I think it's creepy that the one vampire who talks to you, your family lived next to when he actually had been alive who knows how long ago."

I hadn't thought about that. "No, I think it was just coincidence. He seemed like a nice southern gentleman. I was the only nice southern girl in the club, believe me. That's why he came over."

"Has he called you?" she asked and she grabbed for her bottled water.

I giggled. "Of course not. It was only just last night. And he's sleeping or whatever for the day."

"You going to go out with him?"

"I've never been on a date." I sighed. It sounded pitiful when I said it out loud. I was twenty four, never had sex, never been kissed, never even been on a date. "I think I will." I smiled at her. "If he calls."

"He'll call." she smiled back.

* * *

><p>Originally, I didn't think he would. What would a vampire want with little ol' me? It was obvious, at least I thought it was, that I was not your typical fangbanger. I wasn't your typical fangbanger because I wasn't one at all. I hung out with them, sure. But that was my job. From what I heard at the club, I didn't think I would hang out with any of those people. Some seemed nice, sure. They were simply in there to see what all the fuss was about. But for most, once they got a taste of that life, they came back, and their thoughts got darker.<p>

I saw a lot of dark thoughts while I was in the hospital. I was surprised at some of the people out there were allowed to just roam free. I could certainly think of a few at the hospital who should have been let lose, and I could think of quite a few that were lose that should have been behind those sterile walls.

So I was completely surprised when my phone rang just after sun set. "Hello?" I said as I answered. I didn't recognize the number.

"Miss. Stackhouse, it's Bill Compton."

I felt myself smile involuntarily. "Oh hi. I didn't expect you to call." I instantly regretted saying that. "I'm sorry. It's nice to hear from you." I smacked my forehead a few times with the palm of my hand.

"I was wondering if you were busy Monday night? I couldn't stop thinking about you last night, and I would really like to see you again."

Eric had said he'd take me for driving lessons Monday, but now he was out of town, and Pam said he wouldn't be back until Thursday night. "That sounds wonderful. What did you have in mind?"

* * *

><p>Monday got here before I knew it. It had been a great weekend, and I was glad that Eric was gone to wherever he went after the last encounter that we had. Pam was sure to keep me company, or at least, keep an eye on me. I preferred to think of it as keeping me company.<p>

Bill came to pick me up Monday night at nine. He didn't say where he planned on taking me, so I was clueless on what to wear. I finally figured I would play it safe and wear one of the many dresses Pam had put in my wardrobe. I saw her sometimes when she wasn't wearing her usual Fangtasia wear, which consisted of a lot of black and red, skin tight, shiny clothes. Her normal every day ware was very similar to what she had stashed in my closet. I felt like her own personal Barbie doll. Not that I minded, she had good taste. Everything was flattering, and I found it suited me just fine.

I picked out a soft pink dress. It was a halter with a heart shaped cut bust line. It was form fitting at the top, and then flared out at the waist and the skirt had tulle underneath so that it flared out. I matched a white cardigan with it, and little white flats. I left my hair loose, draping around my shoulders. I opted for a little mascara, a light pink eye shadow, and a nude lip gloss. "Cute." I told myself as I took in the finished product in my bathroom mirror.

There was a knock at my door then, and I took a deep breath before I opened it. Bill stood before me in a pair of black slacks, a blue dress shirt with no tie and the top two buttons left open, and a black blazer. I smiled and he smiled back. "Hi."

"Good evening Miss. Stackhouse."

"Please, call me Sookie." I said as I grabbed my purse from the counter.

"If you will call me Bill."

I smiled at him and he offered me his arm, which happily took. I locked my door behind us, and off we went.

"You know, this is my first date." I said as we were seated at the French restaurant Bill had taken me too. I felt a little weird about eating in front of him. I told him we didn't have to stop at a restaurant just for me, but he insisted, saying that they would have a fine selection of blood for him.

"Your first?" He looked at me like I had three heads. I blushed a little.

I told him that I had grown up sheltered, and only recently came out of that shell when I started working for Eric. That was all I felt like sharing about that for the time being. It wasn't a lie. I was sheltered when I was in the hospital.

We talked over dinner. I shared some stories of my childhood, and talked about working for Eric, never really getting into my exact job description. I told him I had a contract, and that the specifics regarding my employment were to be kept confidential. He had brought the conversation around to my job a few times, which I thought was strange, but he never really pushed it, so I didn't think anything of it in the end.

One thing however that I did share with him was a memory from living with my Gran. "When Jesse Compton was ill once, I remember my grandmother making him supper and we brought it over to him. It was the only time I remember actually meeting him, although I did see him from time to time when I would be outside playing with my brother."

"He's passed now." Bill said, and I offered my sympathy. "He didn't know I was a vampire. We normally have no contact with our human families after we are turned."

"Does your family know what happened to you?" I asked. No vampire had ever shared this kind of information with me. Bill took a sip of the blood that he had ordered.

"I was turned towards the end of the Civil War. My family thought I had died during the war. You can understand back then why I didn't go to them afterwards."

I shook my head that I did. "That must have been terrible. I'm so sorry."

"It was quite some time ago." Just great, I managed to spoil the mood. I thought I had been doing so good. Bill noticed me internally scolding myself. He smiled and put his finger under my chin to raise my face back up. "Don't worry. It's nice to talk about them sometimes. I rarely get asked about them." He took another sip of his blood. "So now I have returned to Bon Temps to claim my family home."

"You're living in the house?"

"Yes. I'm afraid that over the years, especially with Jesse, that the home is not what it once used to be. I'm working on restoring it to it's former glory."

"Do you know if anyone is living in my Gran's old home?" I asked. My heart sped up in anticipation.

"No. The home is vacant."

"Any sale signs?"

"None."

"Hmm. I wonder what happened to it after my Gran passed." I said mostly to myself. Bill seemed to pick up on that, and didn't comment further.

After dinner, we went for a walk around a local park. He once again offered me his arm and escorted me around. I was glad that I wore flats. The night air was a little crisp for the end of summer, but the sky was clear, and the stars were out. It was a lovely night. I didn't think first dates could get much better.

Bill drove us back to my apartment and walked me to my door. He wished me good night, and kissed my hand before leaving. I shut the door behind him and did a little happy dance around my living room and kitchen. He said he would call me the next night and I couldn't wait for it to get here.

Bill kept his word and called me the next night. We went out on Tuesday and Wednesday. He had taken me to the movies on Tuesday, which was another first for me, but I didn't say that. It was to weird. Wednesday he took me bowling. It was the strangest thing, watching him bowl. I could see him holding back as he hurtled the ball down the lane, but if he had thrown like I figured he could, he would have cracked the floor and probably broken some of the pins.

* * *

><p>Thursday night came, and I had to go back to work, but to my surprise, Bill showed up and kept me company for the first part of the evening. That was, until Eric showed up. Pam seemed to sense it when he arrived, and she came over and pulled me from Bill and we went back to Eric's office. He didn't seem like he was in a good mood. I was instantly nervous. An upset Eric was not a good thing.<p>

I sat in a chair across from his desk as Eric fiddled at his computer. Pam stood at his side. He didn't even seem to acknowledge our presence for the first five minutes. I felt like he was deliberately wasting my time.

Eric finally pulled his attentions away from his computer and turned to Pam, still completely ignoring me. "How often has Compton been in here?" he asked her.

"Every night since he showed up on Thursday." she replied.

I looked up at Pam. Even the nights we had dates? But, was he just coming here for blood? I felt a pang in my chest. Pam seemed to sense my unasked questions and she gave me a little smile. "He just comes in for that bottled shit and then he leaves at closing. I haven't seen him leaving with anyone." She looked at Eric the whole time she spoke, but when she was done, she looked back to me and winked.

"Keep an eye on him Pam." Eric said, and then for the first time, he finally acknowledged me. "You are involved with Compton , correct?"

"I don't see why that's any of your…" I started…

"You will answer my question!" he yelled at me, slamming his fist down on his desk. I heard wood splinter. I jumped about a foot in the air when he did it to, and felt my face flush.

"Yes." I whispered. I had never been more afraid of him as I was at that moment.

Eric seemed to be trying to calm himself after that when he realized he had scared me. He looked at Pam, and then she bowed and excused herself, leaving me alone in the office with him.

"I want you to continue to see him." he finally said in a calmer tone. I simply nodded. "Get as close to him as you can. I want you to report back to me."

So now I was a spy for my own relationship? My first one ever, and it was doomed it seemed. "I understand what you're asking. And I will agree to let you know if anything suspicious comes up. But my private life is my own." I said as calmly as I could.

"I believe Compton is a spy. I can not go in to detail with you, but I do not believe his intentions with you are what they seem." I could tell he was trying a little empathy on for size. It didn't suit him.

"Well unless you can give me a good reason, he hasn't done anything to suggest otherwise, and I'm keeping my personal life personal unless he does or says something to raise my suspicions. Then, I'll tell you."

"But he has done something suspicious. Do you really think that he approached you by coincidence?" Eric was starting to get upset again. I could feel it. I put my head down and shrugged my shoulders. I thought about what Amelia had said. It was nearly the same thing. Maybe if they both thought it… "He knows about your gift. He didn't move here to reclaim his family home or whatever the bullshit excuse he gave me was. Compton is a procurer. He's doing a job. That job is to get to you."

I felt a tear run down my cheek. "That's not true." I whispered. I heard Eric rise and then I saw a tissue hanging in front of my face. I took it and blotted my eyes like Pam had showed me so that I didn't ruin my makeup.

I felt Eric place his hand on my shoulder and squeeze a little. I wanted to push it away. I didn't want his sympathy.

"Be careful around him." Eric said and then went back to the other side of his desk and sat back down.

I got up and left his office, heading straight for the employee restroom. I let a few more tears fall before I washed up and fixed my makeup. I didn't know what to do, or who to believe. I stayed in the restroom to regroup. I had to think this out before I saw Bill again. And I had to make sure my eyes weren't all red and puffy.

I thought about what Amelia had said. What were the odds that he approached me in Fangtasia? The person who's family happened to live next to his for the last, oh, I don't know, century? At least. What were the odds though that there happened to be a vampire who's family lived next door to the family of the girl that he was sent to procure? That he worked for whoever it was that wanted me? Pretty small odds I thought. Eric just had to be wrong. Bill liked me. We had a good time together. Was it really all a lie like Eric said? Was he just there to procure me?

I decided right then that life outside the hospital officially sucked. It was no wonder there were people who checked themselves in voluntarily. I had always thought them truly insane, but now, I didn't blame them for wanting to get away from life.

And now I was mad at Eric. He couldn't just have let me be. He had to have me, he lured me away with a life that seemed so fancy. To good to be true. A gorgeous apartment, lots of money, a car, and a steady job. I felt like I sold myself out pretty easily.

And I had no good reason to really be mad at Eric. I had a choice, I made it. Maybe he could have explained some things a little better, but in the end, it had been my decision. And at least he let me make the choice (although I doubt he thought I would say no after everything he offered me.) instead of what he seemed to be accusing Bill of doing, which was collecting me.

I left the restroom and went back to Eric's office. I was so upset now. I didn't even bother knocking, I just walked right in, throwing the door open in front of me and slamming it behind me. Eric hardly seemed bothered.

"Is what you said about Bill true?" I asked. My face felt hot all over again, and I felt the tears start to flood my eyes, on the brink of spilling over. "Tell me you're lying to me. I don't know why you would about something that that, cause it'd be mighty cruel, but please, tell me you're lying."

Eric rose from behind his desk and pulled me to him. I lost it then, and I started crying in earnest. His body was tense, probably because I was crying and I knew from prior experience that it made him feel awkward. I laughed a little that for as big and tough and macho as he was, a weeping woman could nearly topple him.

Eric was stroking my hair with one hand and had the other wrapped around my back. "What's funny?" he asked when he heard me laughing through the last of my tears.

"I'm sorry if my crying makes you uncomfortable." I sniffled a few more times and Eric handed me a tissue.

"You find that funny?" he said. I looked up at him as I blotted my eyes. He was looking down at me and quirking an eyebrow. He looked puzzled. It was adorable. But I didn't think he'd appreciate me telling him so.

"Yep." I giggled a little again. I tried to back away from him but he had a firm grip on me, and I could tell I wasn't going anywhere.

"You asked if I was lying to you." he said, and I lowered my head back to his chest. He put his hand under my chin and raised it back up so that I was looking into his eyes. "I may not tell you everything, but what I do tell you, it is true." I nodded my head in understanding, and he released my chin, but still held me to him.

"Did you find this out while you were gone?" I asked.

"About Bill? Yes. It was one of a few pieces of disturbing news that I found out while I was away. I'm afraid that you're in more danger from that article than you may realize. And while you may resent me for taking you from the hospital, believe me when I tell you that it would be worse if it was not me who got to you first."

"I don't resent you." I whispered. I realized that then.

"You don't have to continue to see Bill if you do not wish to. I can find other ways of getting information from him."

"But you want me to anyway."

"I do."

"And I'll be in danger." I sighed.

"You will. But you've had my blood. If you are in danger, I can tell, and I will be able to find you."

"Do I get hazard pay for this?" I asked. Eric laughed and squeezed me to him a little tighter. I could hear and feel the laughter rumbling in his chest. I smiled.

"You will get hazard pay." he said, and laughed a little more. He released his hold on me, but cupped my face in his hands. He got very serious all of the sudden, his eyes locked on mine. I dropped my smile. "You don't have to worry Sookie." I smiled because he used my first name. He hadn't done that in three weeks, thanks to my stubbornness.

And then he leaned down and kissed me. It was simple, and soft, and sent a surge of electricity through me. It wasn't open mouthed or anything like that. It was better. It was simple and perfect and just, wow. And it was my first real kiss. I blushed all sorts of shades of red, I was sure. Eric merely smiled at me when his lips left mine. I wanted to keep kissing. If this was what all the fuss was about, I understood why. Did it always feel like this for everyone?

"I'll do it." I said when he let me go. Apparently that was all I was getting. But at least it was a step in the right direction.

"Good. Now go back out there. He's going to start to wonder why you've been so long." Eric said, and walked back around behind his desk, taking a seat. He seemed to be back in business mode, and it burst my little first kiss bubble of joy that I had been experiencing. I turned towards the door and Eric stopped me. "Wait, I will need you to stay after work this evening. I know I am supposed to give you more notice, but I had to postpone the questioning regarding the missing money."

I nodded. "I'll stay." I turned towards the door and started to leave, but I stopped. "Is it alright if Bill stays and watches?"

"Why?" Eric asked, looking up from his stack of papers.

"Well, that way it will show that we trust him. Think about it. If he feels that he's under any doubt from you or Pam or myself, why would I ask him to stay with me, and why would you allow it? It's something personal that you normally wouldn't share with someone you didn't trust. And if what you say is true, he already knows about my gift. This way, we can judge his reaction."

Eric seemed to consider it for a moment, and then nodded. "Bring him."

I made one more stop I the employee restroom to clean up again after my most recent crying jazz, and then went back out to find Bill. He had moved with Pam to the booth that was normally reserved for Eric, Pam, and myself. He rose when I approached and Pam glared at me as I smiled at Bill and had a seat next to him.

"You were gone a while. Is everything alright?" he asked. I was instantly nervous. I was sure he suspected something. Oh gosh. I didn't know if I could do this whole spy thing. Calm down Sookie, he was just asking a simple question.

I smiled at him. "Oh everything's fine." I hoped that my voice wasn't as shaky as I felt it was. Pam smiled at me and then took a sip of her bottled blood.

Bill didn't seem like he believed me, but he didn't press it any further. "Hey, I have some work to do here after the bar closes. You're welcome to stay with me, then take me home?" I asked, giving him the best smile that I could muster. Lying bastard.

"It would be my pleasure." he smiled back.

* * *

><p><strong>Awww! Cuteness right? I wrote two versions of her first kiss. The other involved kissing of the french persuasion... but I thought that this was more sweet and less scary and intimidating for Sookie considering her prior experiences with Eric. Tongue just didn't seem appropriate for her first kiss.<strong>

**Hope ya'll agreed. :)**

**Okay, for real this time! See ya'll SUNDAY!**


	6. Mouthwash Is My New BFF

**Hey ya'll!**

**I haven't been able to stop writing, so since I'm one chapter ahead of this, I decided to post. And there will be more on Sunday.**

**THANK YOU for all the reviews. I love them! It's so awesome and often funny to read your thoughts on the story. You are quite the humorous bunch! I LOVES IT!**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**Snoogans!**

* * *

><p>By two thirty, Pam had made sure that the bar was clear. I was exhausted and resting my head on my arms at the booth. It had been a trying night. Bill was still sitting with me, and was slowly rubbing my back. Had I not known that he was only here to procure me, it would have been nice and relaxing. Instead, it was making my skin crawl.<p>

Pam, who was at the bar talking to Long Shadow, must have heard a noise, because she turned to the front door of the club and walked over, letting in a man I had seen here only once before. I knew his name was Bruce, and I knew that he had a family, and I really honestly didn't suspect him of taking the money, but if Eric wanted me to question him, I would, just so that I could prove poor Bruce was innocent.

He followed Pam to one of the tables and then she motioned for me to join them. Eric came out of his office, and Long Shadow joined Pam at her side. Bill took a seat at one of the tables next to us. I sat across from Bruce, and Eric came to stand behind me. His presence made me feel safer.

I smiled at Bruce and he smiled back, even though he was nervous with all these vampires surrounding him. I didn't blame him though. This was an intimidating bunch. "You know why you're here Bruce?" I asked as I lowered my shields.

"I do. But it wasn't me, I swear." he said, and was sweating bullets. What I heard from his mind was that he hadn't stolen it. He also wanted to quit working for Eric. He was tired of being scared of his boss. He just wanted a normal accounting job. I also found out he was the one who discovered the missing money in the first place, and had told Eric about it.

I looked up at Pam and Long Shadow because I couldn't see Eric since he was standing behind me. "He didn't do it." I said, and I looked over to Bill. I wanted to see his reaction. He looked genuinely shocked, but I didn't know if that was because he really didn't know about my curse, or if he was just shocked to see it in action for the first time.

"You may go." I heard Eric say from over my shoulder, and Bruce nodded, stood, smiled briefly at me, and then practically ran out the front door. Pam smiled and I could tell she was holding back a laugh. I lowered my head and smiled a little.

"Ginger. Come here." Pam said, and Ginger, who had been sweeping up over by the stage set her broom aside and came and Pam motioned for her to take a seat.

"Ginger. Someone has been taking money from the bar. Do you know anything about this?" Pam asked, and Ginger looked at me. I smiled at her and started to dig around in her mind. It was nasty. She looked up at Eric and smiled at him, and her thoughts instantly went to him and her being… intimate. Ugh.

"Ginger, focus." I said, to get her mind back on track. Pam and Eric both laughed this time. "Did you take the money?" I asked.

"No. Why would I do that?" she said, and I could tell she was being truthful, and that she was pretty pissed at me right now for talking to her like I had.

But there was also a blank spot in her mind. It was dark and fuzzy. I was able to poke all around it, but I couldn't get in to it. She was remembering it, but not really. It was strange. It was like a memory she couldn't quite touch either.

"Someone has tampered with her memory." I said. "She knows who took the money, but she can't say."

Pam looked over to the bar where Molly was cleaning up. "Molly, come." she said. I rolled my eyes. Molly seemed almost overjoyed that she had been spoken to like a dog, and she practically ran over, which made it even worse. "Ginger, go." Pam said, motioning back over to where Ginger had left her broom. Ginger smiled and bowed as she stood, and went right back over to that broom. Geeze. Didn't any of these women have any self respect?

Molly took the seat Ginger had just vacated and I smiled at her. She had never really been nice to me because she could tell I was different somehow. She also thought I was just some groupie looking for action from Eric, and she wondered if I was getting any from him.

"Molly, what vampire has Ginger been seeing? Other than Eric." And right as I said that, I saw who she thought of, and that same vampire was lunging at me.

Long Shadow had been standing to my side, and he tackled me over to the floor before I could even blink. He had his fangs out, and in an effort to defend myself, I had raised my arms, and his fangs sunk into my right forearm. I had never felt such pain before and I cried out. I instantly regretted opening my mouth at all, because in the next instant, he was vomiting blood down on me, and some got in my mouth.

I started to gag, and fought to get his body off mine. I felt someone grab me and drag me out from under him. I was drenched in blood. I was spitting all over the place trying to get what had gone in my mouth out. I looked down and saw Long Shadow's body falling to bloody pieces. It was the grossest thing I had ever seen. I saw a piece of wood protruding from his back, and looked around for it's place of origin. I saw quickly that a piece of the bar was missing.

Then I felt the arms that had grabbed me tightening around me, and I leaned back into them. I hadn't realized it was Bill until I noticed that Pam and Eric were both looking at me, and practically licking their lips. Then I realized the reason Bill was gripping me so tight. I wiggled to get him to let me loose.

I looked over at Ginger, and she had fainted. It was probably for the best. Molly was still sitting in her chair, but she was hunched over to her side, and vomiting.

"Bill Compton, you let me loose." I said as I continued to struggle. He finally did as he was told, and I backed away from the three of them. "I'm going to clean up." and I practically ran to the employee restroom.

Well wasn't this just grand. As if tonight hadn't already been terrible enough, now I was covered in blood and injured. My arm stung, but I noticed that the two gouges in my arm were already starting to heal, but only just a little. I was puzzled. They shouldn't be healing so quick. I was sure that I was going to need to go to a hospital for stitches, but that no longer seemed the case.

I turned on the sink and got the water nice and warm. I started to take paper towels and wipe myself down as best as I could. I got undressed, and cleaned the rest of my body. It was hard with only paper towels, some hand soap, and a sink, but I got pretty clean. I was going to need to give my hair a thorough washing when I got home, but for right now, a rinse in the sink got it clean enough so that it wasn't drenched in blood.

I cracked the door open slightly and called for Pam. She was at the door in no time. I asked her for something clean to wear and she brought me back a Fangtasia shirt in the largest size that they had. It came down to my knees, so it was almost like wearing a dress, but I still felt very exposed. When I emerged from the bathroom thirty minutes later, Pam was waiting for me at the door. She pulled me close and whispered in my ear. "I know you are injured, but do not let Compton give you his blood. Let him take you home, and Eric will be by later to heal you."

I shook my head in understanding, even thought I didn't quite understand what she meant by all that. Eric was going to come by later and heal me? How? And why would Bill offer me his blood? It seemed strange, because other than me, Eric didn't give any other human his blood. And Pam didn't seem to share hers either. In fact, the few times I had asked Pam about Eric giving me his blood, she had eluded to the fact that it was something that vampires didn't normally do, for various reasons.

We headed back to the bar. I kept pulling at the shirt, trying to keep it as low as possible, and I watched where I stepped because I was barefoot. Eric smiled, and took an unnecessary breath when he saw me, dressed just in the shirt.

"Take me home please?" I asked Bill, and he nodded. "Good night Mr. Northman. Pam, thank you for the clean shirt. I'll see you both tomorrow."

I took Bill's arm, and he led us out the back door, and over to his car. He helped me in, and then got in to the car himself, and we were off.

"What were you doing back there?" he asked as we drove towards my apartment.

"My job." I answered with a smile.

"I could see that. Are you telepathic?" he asked. I was trying to figure out if he was genuinely asking, or if he was just trying to act like this was news to him.

"I am."

"And that's what you do for Eric?"

"Yes."

"Are you happy working for him?" he asked, and I thought that was a weird question. Did I not seem happy? Was this where Bill tried to lure me away?

"Yes. Very much. He gave me the life I never thought I would have. He's been wonderful to me." Now, that wasn't entirely true. There were times he had been a bit mean, but the good things were outweighing the bad.

Bill turned his attention from the road then as we stopped at a red light. "He has quite the reputation, Sookie. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I can take care of myself. Besides, I'm with you. I mean, I'm not planning on seeing anyone else for now, including Eric." I smiled at him, but I felt dirty saying those words. Ugh, he was the last person on the face of this earth I wanted to be with.

"He's not good for you. He's dangerous. He only cares about himself. You should get away from him as quickly as you can."

"Now Bill Compton, don't you bad mouth Eric. He's been nothing but good to me. He's given no reason for me to think that I need to get away from him. If that time ever came, I can take care of myself. But I honestly don't think it will." I was a little upset now, and Bill could tell. He looked back to the road because the light changed green.

"I'm just concerned, that's all." he said, but he didn't seem happy.

We drove the rest of the way back to my apartment in silence. Bill parked in one of the visitor spots and walked me to my door. He had offered to carry me since I was barefoot, but I declined. It wasn't like I would be walking over broken glass or gravel or anything. It was a nice apartment building.

He walked me all the way to my door, and I reached in my purse for my keys. I fished them out, unlocked my door, and walked in. Bill followed, and I was now regretting inviting him in the night before when he had picked me up for bowling. But the manners that my Gran had started to instill in me kicked in, and I offered him a drink. After our first date, I had bought some True Blood in case he ever did come in.

"No, thank you. I should be on my way. I'm sure you're exhausted." he said, and I yawned at the thought of sleep in the near future. "But before I go, may I offer to heal that for you?" he asked, motioning to my arm.

I looked down at the wound. It was looking a lot better than I had expected it to, but still looked nasty. It had stopped bleeding when I was cleaning up, but it was going to leave a scar for sure. "Sure." I said, not quite sure how he was planning on healing it.

Then I watched him bring his finger to his mouth and heard his fangs pop. He pricked his finger, and drew a little blood. He pulled me to him, and was bringing his finger down to the wounds. "No. Wait." I said, and pulled away from him. "What are you doing?" I asked, clutching my arm to me.

"Healing you." he said, like I should have known. I raised my eyebrows in question. "Our blood is healing, Sookie. You would have required stitches at least if it was not for Eric's blood running through you. But if you don't want to be left with scars, I can fix that."

"Oh. Well, um, thank you for the offer, but I think I had better not. I would rather see a doctor." I didn't want to say that Eric would be by to what I now figured would be the same thing as soon as Bill was gone.

Bill seemed a little defeated, but he didn't push the subject. "As you wish. But if you change your mind, let me know." I smiled at him, mostly because I was happy he didn't force me to take his blood, or whatever he was planning on doing.

He walked towards the door, and I followed. He stepped outside, and then took my hand. "It was a pleasure Sookie, as always. May I see you again tomorrow?" he asked, and just as I was about to answer, he pulled me to him and kissed me.

It was awkward. First, he smashed his face against mine, and it hurt a little with the force of it. He seemed to think however that he was doing a good job. I could feel him trying to force his tongue in my mouth, but I kept my lips shut.

This was nothing like the gentle kiss Eric had given me earlier. There was no spark. It was just flat out terrible. And when it was done, he looked like he had enjoyed it very much, and I put on my best smile, and wished him a good night, then shut the door and ran for the bathroom. I grabbed for the mouthwash and rinsed twice, then I washed my face as best I could before getting in the shower.

Ick. That was all I could think. This was a night of ick. First Long Shadow goop all over me, and now Bill's terrible kiss. Even if I hadn't known that he was faking all this, it would have been a terrible first kiss with him. I was glad that Eric beat him to it.

I took the hottest shower that I could manage. When I was done, I towel dried my hair, and put on the big fluffy terrycloth robe that I had. I stepped out of the bathroom and flipped on the light to my bedroom and screamed.

"Jesus Eric!" He was lounging on my bed, and smiled at startling me. I stomped into my room, reached into my dresser drawer where I kept my pajamas and Eric came up behind me. He poked around and picked up something red and frilly and practically see through.

"Wear this." he smirked, holding it up with his index finger.

"In your dreams." I said as I pulled out my jammie draw string bottoms and matching shirt. They were white with little pink rose buds all over.

"Vampires don't dream. But if we did, that is exactly what I would be dreaming of." He dropped his selection back into my drawer, and I went back to the bathroom to change.

When I emerged, Eric was back to laying on my bed. "Who invited you in anyway?" I asked as I stood at the foot of the bed.

"You did, your first night here." He patted the spot next to him, but I stayed put.

"A decision I'm regretting every second." I smiled, and he laughed a little. I climbed in the bed next to him but kept a respectable distance. He was being a gentleman, and didn't try to scoot closer. He was keeping his distance for the first time. He was learning it seemed.

"Would you like me to heal that?" he said, motioning to my arm. I nodded and offered it to him. He did just as Bill had done, and pricked his finger on his fangs, drawing a little blood and then rubbed it over my wound. I could almost see it closing up. "There shouldn't be a scar." he said when he was done. He offered me his finger and I sucked away the last little drop that was there. I guess that was my blood donation from him for the night.

"Bill offered me his blood, to heal me, but I declined. He didn't seem happy about it."

"What else happened after you left the bar?" he asked, settling back down on the bed. I laid down as well, and turned on my side to face him. We were a good arms length away from each other.

"He asked me if I was telepathic, and I told him I was. He acted surprised, but it didn't seem genuine." I said, and Eric rolled on his side to face me like I was facing him. "He asked if I was happy working for you, and he said that I should leave you. That you were trouble, dangerous even." I smiled, but Eric growled. Honest to goodness growled.

"What else?" he spat.

"Well, when he was leaving… he kissed me." I shivered just thinking about it.

Now Eric looked pissed. Which I didn't quite understand, because he didn't seem to care about me like that at all. He looked like the jealous boyfriends or husbands that I had seen on so many soap operas. "Did you enjoy it?" he sneered.

"Oh heavens no! It was terrible. You would think that being alive for over a hundred years, he would have learned how to kiss." I wiped my mouth again, feeling like Bill was somehow still lingering there. "If I had enjoyed it, wouldn't you think you would have felt that from me?"

"I did feel that from you." He turned so that he was laying on his back again.

"What you felt was my relief at getting to use my mouthwash." I mumbled, but of course Eric heard me. I saw him smile. I wanted to tell him he kissed a lot better, but not while we were in bed like this. I knew what he would do with that piece of info, and I wasn't ready to do that just yet.

I yawned then, and regretted it instantly. Eric started to get up, but I asked him to stop. "Please? Stay a little longer?"

"I can feel how tired you are. You can't lie to me Sookie." he said, sitting on the edge of the bed, facing me. I smiled cause he used my first name again.

"Well, maybe I am tired. But what if Bill comes back?"

"You are worried he will?"

I shook my head, mustering all the fear that I could just then so he'd feel it. I wasn't really scared of Bill coming back. What I was afraid of was Eric leaving. It was so nice, just laying here, talking to him. I didn't want him to leave.

"I'll stay." he said, and laid back down where he had been. "But you must sleep."

"Deal." I mumbled. Sleep was really starting to pull at me. I got up on my knees and pulled the covers down so that I could climb in to them and then snuggled up under the blanket and got comfortable. I shut my eyes, but I was still awake for the most part. I could tell I wouldn't be for long. Eric kept his distance and stayed above the covers.

"You did very well tonight." he said, and I smiled. "I'm sorry Long Shadow attacked you."

"It wasn't your fault." I opened my eyes and saw Eric getting out of bed. I watched him turn the light off, and then get back in next to me, still staying the arms length away. Once he was back, I closed my eyes again, because I simply couldn't hold them open any longer under my heavy lids. "When are you going to take me driving again?" I asked out of no where.

Eric laughed. I felt him turn, and opened my eyes a fraction to see him on his side, facing me. The turn brought him a little closer to me. "Tomorrow night. I will pick you up here before we go to the club." I felt the bed shift ever so slightly, and I knew Eric had moved a little closer. I smiled a little, but kept my eyes shut.

"What do you think you're doing?" I said, sounding more awake than I felt I was.

"Sookie." he whispered. I felt his hand brush a few strands of hair away from my face. I felt him lean towards me, and then I felt his lips brush mine lightly, and I parted my lips slightly as I opened my eyes. It was dark, but I could just make out his face. His eyes seemed to glow blue in the dark. His mouth was still hovering over mine, and I felt his nose brush my cheek. I couldn't take it any more, and I closed the gap, kissing his lower lip as gently as he had kissed me earlier that night. He responded by taking my mouth with his. His hand which was still in my hair from when he had brushed it back, was now pulling me gently towards him. I felt his tongue teasing my lips, and I parted mine just a little more to grant him access.

Wow.

I thought earlier had been a good kiss. I was learning very quickly that had been child's play. This was… I felt like I was going to pass out after a few seconds. His tongue caressed mine, and I followed his lead, doing the same. I had no clue what I was doing to be quite honest, but from the little grunts and moans he was making, I had a feeling I was doing something right. I felt my body moving, leaning, towards his. Like my body was a magnet that was drawn to his. I moved my hands to his shoulder, and moved them in until they were on either side of his neck. I realized I was trying to pull him closer to me. Eric in the mean time had put his left arm over my body, and his right, which was the side he was laying on, came up and rested on my neck like I had on his. I could feel him almost trying to pull me closer to him as well.

And then there was that stupid breathing thing that I had to do. I pushed against his shoulders a little and he released me. I gasped for air, and felt out of breath. I heard Eric inhale too, although it was unnecessary for him. He was right up against me now, his arm still over me. I smiled and curled up into his chest.

And that's how Eric held me for the rest of the night. He slowly stroked my hair and held me to him as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>It was nearly four in the afternoon when I woke up the next day. I felt lonely in that huge bed for the first time. I smiled though when I thought about the previous night. Oh my goodness. I got up and went to the bathroom, and found a note taped to the mirror.<p>

_Sookie,_

_I enjoyed watching you sleep. You make the most delectable noises._

_I will pick you up tonight at eight, and we will go driving._

_E~_

I felt my whole body flush. Oh gosh, what noises did I make while I slept? I was mortified. I folded up the note and placed it in my nightstand.

* * *

><p>"Sounds like he was making his territory." Amelia said when I called her to tell her what had happened with Eric. She giggled as she said it. I hadn't thought about that, but it made sense. Was that what he was doing? Was he just doing it because he didn't like that Bill had touched me? Not because he wanted to? I asked Amelia if that was really what she thought. "No. You two have been playing this game for weeks. I think it finally got to be to much for him. I mean, he did kiss you earlier, before Bill did."<p>

"Yeah, but he was sending me back out to go fake being Bill's girlfriend." I was feeling deflated now. Thanks Amelia. But I guess that I needed someone to tell me the truth, right? I mean, I was obviously naive, and everyone seemed to be taking advantage of it.

"Look, all's I'm saying is that maybe he got bit by the green eyed monster."

"What? A monster bit him?"

Amelia lost it, she laughed for a good minute before she clarified. "What I'm saying is, he got jealous. He knew what he was sending you out there to do. He didn't like the fact that Bill was going to get time with you that he wanted for himself. He got jealous. I mean, look how he reacted when you told him Bill had kissed you."

"Well…"

"Well nothing Sookie! He was jealous. And yeah, I do think he was marking his territory, but it was out of jealousy. He wants you. You want him. I don't see why you don't go for it."

"What about what you said before, about Eric's reputation? Is that all out the window now?"

"No, he's got a reputation, but maybe it's changing. He knows where you stand Sook. And it's obvious you aren't going to waiver from it. Maybe he's realized that if he wants you, he needs to change."

"So then you think maybe he's just doing this to… you know… and then dump me?"

Amelia sighed. I really wish we were having this conversation in person so I would just read her mind. "I don't know. But you aren't going to know unless you give it a shot right?"

"I suppose. But I need to know from him first that he's in it for more. I don't know that I could take all this, and then have him dump me once he's gotten his prize."

"Well, ask him."

Easy for her to say. "We'll see." I glanced at the clock. It was nearly seven. "Oh gosh, I have to get ready for tonight. I'll call you if anything happens."

We said our goodbyes, and I rushed to get ready. I took a quick shower, and then stood in my closet for ages trying to find what to wear.

I felt a pair of arms snake around me as I stood there studying my wardrobe. I about jumped out of my skin. "Darn it Eric!" I screeched. My heart was racing. He half laughed and half growled into my neck as he lowered his head. He placed a gentle kiss there and I leaned into him subconsciously, and when I became aware that I had, and I was letting him nuzzle me, I became very self conscious because I was standing there in a towel, and that was it. So improper and so not what I wanted. (Even though it felt really good and I could have very easily let it go a little further!)

"We aren't going driving. I have something else planned.". He let me go and went into my closet. He looked good tonight. He wasn't wearing his normal Fangtasia ware. He had on a pair of dark wash jeans and a deep red button up shirt, with the sleeves folded up to just below his elbows, and the first few buttons undone around the collar.

I watched him as he perused my garments an he settled on a dark purple dress that had spaghetti straps, an empire waist, and a skirt that went to just above my knees and hung lose and flowed quite beautifully. It was more skin than I normally felt comfortable showing, but Eric seemed quite pleased with his choice.

"I'm going to need something to wear over this if we're going to be outside." I said as I took the dress from him. I stopped at my dresser and got my under things and headed to the bathroom. I dressed quickly and called to Eric from the bathroom trying to be a smart ass, "Hair up or down?" and as I started to put it up I heard him answer on the other side.

"Up."

I giggled as I continued my work, putting my hair up in a tight bun on the center of the back of my head. When I emerged from the bathroom, I found Eric in the living room and on his cell phone. He was listening to whoever was on the other line and he had a black pea coat hung over his arm. I went to my closet and pulled out a pair of black flats, and slipped them on before returning to the living room. Eric turned to me, said an absent "Later." to whomever he had been speaking with, and came to meet me at the archway that led from the hall to the living room.

"Perfect." he mumbled as he took me in his arms again and bent over to put his face in the crook of my neck. I giggled a little because his nose brushing against my neck tickled. Eric let me go and lifted my jacket for me to slide in to. When I had the jacket on, and my back was to him, he pulled me against him. "We are taking the night off."

I turned around and looked up at him, a bit puzzled. It was a Friday night, it was sure to be busy. His presence would be missed. "Why?"

"Because you deserve it. And there are things we need to talk about."

"About?" I asked. What could be so important that we needed to take the whole night off?

"Several things." he said, quite seriously. "Come, let's go." He took my hand and I tried to grab for my purse but he simply pulled me along telling me I didn't need it.

He used a copy of the apartment key that he had to lock up and then we headed to the roof. Once we were up there I stopped and looked up to him, "Did I get all dressed up to spend the night on my roof?"

Eric laughed and pulled me against him, holding me tight. "Hold on."

* * *

><p><strong>So Eric and Sookie's second kiss is actually the other version I wrote of their first kiss. Just wanted to let you know. :)<strong>

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies!**


	7. I Taste Like Awesome!

**Happy Sunday!**

**A/N at the bottom.**

**THANK YOU for the reviews! I love them like a nerd loves nerdy stuff. Ya'll crack me up, and it makes me so happy to read your thoughts and comments and whatnot.**

**Charlaine Harris own's the characters and whatnot.**

**Snoogans!**

* * *

><p>The words barely left his lips when I felt a rush of wind and we were airborne. I screamed and grabbed him like I would die if I wasn't holding him as tight as I could, and I buried my face in his chest. Eric thought this was hysterical because I could feel the laughter rumbling through his chest.<p>

"Sookie, look around." he said, but I just told him he was nuts. I'd never been more than three stories up, I'd never been flying in a plane or otherwise. A girl could have used some warning!

"Just tell me when we land." I said into his were in the air for what seemed like an eternity, but was only maybe ten minutes really. When we landed, Eric let go of me as he put my feet on the ground, but I clung to him as I had when we had been up in the air until the third time he as assured me we really were on the ground. I slowly turned my head to the side and opened one eye to check the surroundings, and verify we really had landed. Once I was positive, I smacked his chest. "Asshole." I knew I was mad cause I did something I rarely did. I cussed. I mentally scolded myself for the foul language.

Eric just laughed again. He had a good laugh. It sounded genuine. "I wasn't sure you would agree to the transportation if I told you in advance.""Darn right I wouldn't have." I smoothed my dress out. "Where are we?"

I looked around at my surroundings. We appeared to be in a clearing, in the middle of the woods. Where exactly that was, I had no clue. There was a blanket laid out a few feet from where we had landed with a small lantern and a basket.

"A safe place to talk." was his response.

"Well, you got me all dressed up, scared me half to death, spit it out." I said, putting my hands on my hips. He looked puzzled. "You know, tell me what you brought me here to tell me." I felt like I had to clarify my slang.

"I don't like that term. It's not proper for a lady. Don't use it again." Great, so now I was getting lessons in being a lady from Mr. Womanizer. He took my hand and led us over to the blanket. I sat as gracefully as I could, tucking my legs under my body and making sure that my dress was spread out so that there wasn't any indecent exposure going on. Eric just laid all the way back, putting his hands under his head and stretching out, letting his blonde hair cascade around him. It was almost like a halo. He looked angelic. I found myself wanting to reach out and touch him, to make sure he was real for some reason.

"So what did you want to talk about?" I asked.

"How would you feel about moving to New Orleans ?" he asked, his eyes closed. He seemed so nonchalant about it, which was strange, because to me, a move like that seemed like a big deal.

"I guess that depends."

"On?" He opened an eye to look at me.

"Would I be going alone? Why would I need to move? Would I still have a job down there?"

He smiled at my little barrage of questions. "You would not be going alone. You would need to move for your safety. And you would still have a job working for me."

"So that means that you would be moving as well?"

"Yes." He sat up now and took my hands in his. "I need to explain some things to you; things that we normally don't share with humans. I trust you will keep this to yourself?" I nodded, and he smiled and continued. "Simply put, each state in America has a King or Queen who rules over that state. Each state is split into areas, which are governed by a Sheriff. This is the same for all fifty of your human states. In Louisiana , I am the Sheriff of Area Five. The difference with Louisiana is that we currently have no King or Queen. We have had our Sheriff's dealing with their areas, as well as meeting on a monthly basis to discuss matters of the state as a whole. This has not gone unnoticed with other states, and we have been threatened with takeovers many times since we lost our Queen. But we have found that ruling the state without a royal has proven most prosperous for all involved." He paused to study me, and I was on the verge of a giggle fit, but I was holding it in.

"Continue." was all I could manage to get out without giggling.

"It has been decided among the Sheriff's that we need some sort of a figurehead in place. Since I am the oldest of the other Sheriff's, we have decided that I will take that position. I have no desire to be king, and they know this as well, so they don't fear a risk of me making myself King after I take this position. I don't think any of the other Sheriff's have a desire to have another royal in place either. We are making more money than we have in decades. We aren't under the scrutiny of a royal. We have found that this suits us better."

"Sounds very Brady Bunch."

Eric smiled. "Perhaps. It's a fate that I did not expect when we lost our Queen, however since it has worked out well for all of us, I think it is the reason we have had little to no resistance from any of the Sheriff's in the state. We agree wholly that we work better this way." Eric laid down on his back again, putting his hands back under his head. I stayed seated as I was, but adjusted my legs slightly because they were starting to tingle. "But with pending attacks from other states, something needs to be done."

"So you want me to follow you down there?"

"I do. It's not safe to leave you here."

"It's not safe to leave me anywhere from what you told me last night."

Eric laughed a little at that. "Not really. But that's one of the other things that I wanted to speak with you about."

"Wait, can I ask some questions first?" I said. I decided that I wasn't comfortable sitting like that anymore, so I finally gave up trying to find a comfortable position, and I laid on my stomach. Eric watched as I got settled. He didn't say I couldn't ask anything, so I started in. "What happened to the Queen?"

"She was murdered by her pet." he said. I motioned for him to elaborate. "She grew to trust her human companion more than she should have. Sophie-Anne shared her day chamber with the human. But Sophie-Anne also had appearances to keep up. And for financial reasons, she agreed to marry the King of Arkansas. Her human grew jealous, and one day, while Sophie-Anne slept, her human drove a stake through her."

"Oh my." I said, wide eyed and honestly stunned. "What happened to the human?"

"She was killed. There was much confusion after that. Arkansas claimed that he should become in possession of Louisiana since he was 'engaged' to Sophie-Anne, but when he tried to advance on the state, the Sheriff's had already decided to take matters into their own hands. That first year was quite trying. Many surrounding states attempted to take over our state. But we are warriors, and we prevailed with little casualty."

This was a lot to take in. I had no clue all this was going on. Everything I had ever seen or heard about vampires never suggested to anything like this. They were 'out of the coffin', but I guess they still had centuries of a particular way of living that they couldn't just give up. It also seemed quite archaic, but who was I to question their ways? I guess, if it wasn't broke, why fix it?

Although, it did seem broken in a way. If the Sheriff's were all so keen on not having another royal in place, and it was working out better for them this way, I could see why this would cause all sorts of issues for other states, and why other Kings and Queens would want to take over so badly, for more than just wanting another state under their belt.

"So are the other Kings and Queen's worried that this change you've all done here in Louisiana will catch on?" I asked.

Eric looked to me again and smiled, like he was proud of me for thinking of something smart to say. "I suppose. Our actions obviously have not gone unnoticed. Not all royalty is as old as me or as old as Sophie-Anne was. Mostly, they keep their positions from respect and lots of protection. But I don't see why there couldn't be uprisings in other states at any time. Some would even be successful."

I thought that over. I thought of the American Revolution. How very exciting this all was. "Do I have a choice in going with you?"

"You do. I hope that you chose to go, but I won't force you."

"But you said it wasn't safe for me to stay here."

"It's not. Like I said before, your article did not go unnoticed. You would be a valuable asset to any state. And that is where Compton comes in."

"So he really is working for someone? He really is just out to get me for someone else?"

"Yes. His maker has struck a deal with the King of Mississippi, Russell. He wants you as part of his retinue. Bill was sent to procure you. I think it was just happenstance that he lived next to your family home. But it was what tipped me off to check into the reason for his return. He knew from the article where your home town was. That was part of the reason his maker went to Russell. She offered Bill's services in exchange for sanctuary and a hefty payout upon your delivery."

"Well that's just lovely!" I was visibly upset. Pissed even. I wasn't anywhere near crying, I was just really, really mad.

"You cared for Compton?" Eric asked. He was looking at me funny. I didn't quite know what to make of it. It was concern, contempt, hope? But over what, I wasn't quite sure.

"Yes… no… I don't know. I didn't really get the chance to know him. I liked the idea of him I guess. He was the first guy to ever ask me out. He was the first person to ever take me on a date."

"I see." Eric seemed perturbed.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all this." I laughed.

"I don't either. Keep talking." Eric smiled a toothy grin at me.

"Oh hush." I laughed. But Eric was looking at me now like he really was interested. "Well, is it any surprise? I mean, you know where I've been the last thirteen years. Don't exactly get asked out a lot in the mental hospital, ya know? And even if I did, not many places to go. The cafeteria isn't exactly a date kind of place."

Eric was laughing again. "No, I don't suppose it is."

"Bill was alright. But now that I know the truth, I'm regretting having him be some of my firsts."

Eric put his fingers over my mouth then to keep me quiet. I guess he was tired of me talking. That didn't last very long. I smiled against his fingers.

"There's something about you, Sookie Stackhouse."

"Oh?" I mumbled because he still had his fingers to my lips.

Eric smiled. "Yes."

"So then you do want to go on a date?" I was still trying to talk through his fingers. Eric was on his side now, and I guess he got tired of me trying to talk through his fingers, because he covered my whole mouth with his hand. I giggled a little. "Sorry." I said into his hand.

"No. I don't." he said, and I moved my lips to talk, and I felt his hand tighten a little. It didn't hurt, but I got the idea. No more talking Sookie. "But I would like to spend more time with you."

He removed his hand then. I guess this was my queue. "Spend more time with me?" Like how did he mean? As friends or something else? I kept thinking the words boyfriend, dating, and relationship in my head, and while those felt normal to use in context with Bill, it just sounded funny trying to apply a label like that to Eric.

"I want to get to know you better, Sookie."

"Biblically?" I asked, drawing a laugh from Eric.

"Yes, that to. But I know how you feel about that and what you would expect from me when we do have sex. It's not something I can offer."

Well hello Mr. Confident. I picked up that he had said "when" and not "if" when it came to us having sex. And yeah, we've had this conversation already about our expectations. His involved sex, mine involved a bit more. "Well, what would spending more time with me involve?" I was slowly realizing that I was willing to bend my rules a little. But I would only go so far.

"We could have more nights like this. You could tell me more about your life."

I did a little snort and laughed at that. "Really? You want to hear about my life? I doubt you're really that interested."

"You're somewhat right. But it would make you happy, correct?"

Well, at least he was sticking to that whole honesty thing. "I guess. I mean, I have Amelia to talk to, and Pam, but it's embarrassing to talk to them about some things sometimes."

"Embarrassing? How? Have they teased you in some way? Upset you? I will correct this behavior…"

"No no, nothing like that. It's just, I don't feel normal around either of them. I don't have any of the life experiences that either of them have had. I'm starting to, but I just sort of feel left out or something. I don't know how to explain it." I smiled out of shyness, and looked down at my hands. I was fidgeting.

"But you feel comfortable talking to me." he said. It was more of a statement, but I still nodded my head.

"Girls can be catty sometimes, even if they don't mean to be. You're just a smart-ass. I can handle that."

Eric looked rather smug with himself. I felt like I was missing something. "Why do you look so proud?" I laughed.

"Because I will have you. I told you, I like a challenge."

"Have me? We've been over this Eric. You can't just have me…"

"But I will. No woman has ever been able to resist me. You may have delayed it longer than any other woman, but I will have you."

I laughed. I fell back and had a good belly laugh. My eyes watered and I was gasping for air. My sides ached after a minute because I was laughing so hard.

"I don't see what's so amusing." I heard Eric say as I tried to calm myself down.

"Oh Eric, I told you what I expect. I'm even willing to compromise on some things. But just hanging out with me isn't going to be enough."

Smug Eric came back. "We shall see. Besides, we will be living together under the same roof in a week. It won't be long before you can no longer resist me."

"Well, aside from last night, I think I've done pretty well." Now I was smug. Take that!

We laid there for a while after that. Just star gazing. Eric pointed out some constellations that we could see. We weren't out far enough to completely drown out the lights from the city it seemed, because there didn't seem to be many stars out.

It was a good thirty minutes before Eric finally spoke again.

"You cause me great…frustration." Frustration? Where was this coming from? "And I cant remember in the past thousand years that a human has done that to me. You surprise me. I find you quite intriguing. And I allow you to speak to me in a way that any others would lose a limb were they to try me as you do sometimes."

I turned my head to him and rolled my eyes as I smiled. He smiled back.

"Sometimes I don't know what to do with you." he sighed. He didn't need to breathe, so whenever he did something like that, it always seemed a little funny.

And right then my stomach growled. It was dead quiet, so we both heard it quite clearly. I closed my eyes in embarrassment, and Eric simply laughed.

"On second thought, I think I know exactly what do to with you." he said.

"And that is?"

He sat up and reached into the basket that was sitting on the other end of the blanket. He pulled out some grapes and cheese and crackers and a bottle of water with pieces of orange floating around inside. He pulled out a plate and put some of the food on it, and handed it to me once I had settled in a comfortable seated position.

"Thank you." I said, then popped the first grape in my mouth. It was the most delicious grape I had ever had. We didn't get grapes often in the hospital, and I didn't really remember eating any very often when I was a kid. But the ones at the hospital were always small and tart. These were some of the biggest grapes I had ever seen, and they were just a little tart, just the perfect amount. "Mmmm." I moaned as I popped another in my mouth.

"So you will agree to spend time with me? Outside of Fangtasia?"

"Well you're certainly making it hard to say no." I ate a piece of cheese. I needed to find out what kind this was, because it sure did taste better than those single slices that came wrapped individually.

"But you will not say yes?" He seemed a little defeated, and he looked like he didn't quite know what to do with that feeling.

"I will say we can see where things go. You can't just win me over and knock all my morals out of the way with a romantic little picnic and sharing some personal information." He started to open his mouth to interrupt me but I put up my hand. "Now, that doesn't mean that I can't reinterpret some of the things I've said I expect, but it's certainly not going to be that easy for you. I need to be wooed at the very least. I need to know that I'm not sharing you with someone else if you want more than just my friendship." This conversation had taken quite a serious turn from the lightheartedness of earlier. Except we were both on different pages. He was being serious about bedding me, and I was being serious in a relationship, since I wouldn't be intimate with him otherwise.

Eric mulled that over for a few minutes, and I ate while he did. The longer that he took, the more worried I got. But I had to stick to my guns. I was willing to make some changes, and I felt that it was only fair that he did too. I was willing to go without dates, and I was willing to keep this under the radar, since I was sure he wouldn't want to flaunt me around as his arm candy, and that's not what I wanted either.

We would especially need to keep this quiet if I was supposed to still be "dating" Bill.

"I am a vampire, Sookie. There are certain things that we cannot do, that I require. That I need."

"Such as?"

"Blood, mostly. And I cannot drink from you more than maybe once or twice. I would risk bonding with you, and that is not something I want to happen, and I don't think you would either. I could have sex with you without having to take your blood, however tempting it may be. But I would need blood at some point, more than you would be able to provide to me."

"So basically, you would still have to be with other women." I felt a little, no, a lot crushed just then. But I was glad for his honesty. "Wouldn't it just be for blood though?" I was trying to find a silver lining.

"Feeding is very arousing, Sookie. You have seen it first hand over the last few weeks." He looked like he was trying to figure out the best way to say whatever it was he was going to say next. "I'm not a 'one woman' kind of guy, Sookie."

"Oh." So basically, he wouldn't be able to be faithful. I wondered if this was the same for all vampires. I wondered if Bill was doing the same thing outside of Fangtasia. If he was doing it before I knew that he was a jerk and only after me for one thing. I felt tears rearing their ugly heads, and a few escaped.

Eric took my hands again in his. "Please don't cry. I hate it when you cry."

"I can't help it." I said, which just made the tears really start to flow.

"I told you I would be honest with you."

"I know, and it's not just that. I was thinking about Bill." I blotted at my eyes with a napkin that Eric produced from somewhere and was handing me. He huffed at the mention of Bill. "No I don't mean like that. I was just wondering if he was drinking and sleeping with someone before I knew the ugly truth about him."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. Because before last night, I didn't know that he was just trying to collect me for Mississippi . Which means he would have been unfaithful to me. Not that we were exclusive or anything… but it still mattered." I sucked it up as best I could to stop crying.

"So there is no compromise you would be willing to make?" Eric finally asked once I was all the way calmed down.

"I said I was willing to make some compromises. What they are exactly, I don't know. But we can cross those bridges when we get to them." If he was looking for a serious talk, I was about to give it to him. "Look, I'm going to be totally honest with you Eric. I appreciate you being as open with me as you were earlier. I really do. So I feel like I owe you the same now." I took a deep breath. "I hear everything you're saying. I understand you're a vampire, and that you need blood, and that if I can't give that to you, you have to get it from somewhere else. I also understand that this also means you would most likely have sex with other women." I shook my head, thinking of the parade of women I'd seen in and out of his office since I started working for him. "If things were different, and you were willing to take me out," God help me for the comparison I was about to make, "like Bill, I would expect that you didn't sleep with anyone but me. I would actually prefer that you didn't drink from anyone but me either, because the thought of you being close to another woman like that…" Focus Sookie! "That's besides the point. I guess what I'm rambling on about is that I'm willing to change some, because I can tell now that trying to date like a normal couple just wouldn't feel right. We would be something completely different, and I bet it could be amazing. But I won't stand for sharing you with other women. I just can't compromise on that."

I was feeling genuinely heart broken. I felt like I was breaking up with him, and we never even got the chance to be anything at all. I also felt like I sounded like one of the therapists from the hospital.

Eric didn't say anything. He just laid back down, but this time, he pulled me over with him. He was lying on his back again, and I was on my side, curled up against his chest, resting my head in the space that was created from him wrapping his arm around me. I rested my arm across his chest.

"So you will not yield to me?" he finally asked. He seemed to be trying to defuse the tense atmosphere. Trying to bring us back to the light mood we had earlier.

I giggled. "No."

"But you will come to New Orleans with me?"

"Of course. Is Pam coming? I really do like her."

Eric laughed now. "Yes, Pam is coming." He hugged me to him a little more. "She is quite fond of you, but you didn't hear that from me."

I made a motion like I was keeping my lip sealed. Eric smiled and kissed me lightly on my forehead. He started to rub his hand up and down my back slowly. It was very soothing. I could have fallen asleep there I was so comfortable. "Where will I be living?"

"In the palace with Pam and myself." He kissed me again on my forehead.

I sighed. "You know, if you would have told me a month ago that my life would be changing this much, I would have said you were crazy. Which is saying a lot, considering I was in a mental hospital."

I started to trace my finger in small circles over Eric's chest. I was doing it subconsciously, but noticed when he shivered and grabbed my hand to stop me. "Sorry. Did that tickle?"

"Yes, but not the way you're thinking." he said. I looked up at his face and he wagged his eyebrows at me.

"Oh for heavens sakes Eric!" I smacked his chest playfully but he didn't laugh. Instead he flipped us so that I was on my back, and he was hovering over me. "What are you doing?" I whispered.

He answered me by bringing his face down to my neck and nuzzling me there with his nose. I could feel him inhaling and it sent a shiver down my spine. He started to place soft kisses there and it sent a shockwave to parts of my body I had never remembered feeling like that before.

And my body betrayed my mind. I wrapped my arms around his back. He moved a knee between my legs and lowered himself to me. He let some of his weight rest on me. It wasn't crushing me in the slightest. I actually felt quite secure with him laying on me like that.

He nipped at my neck next, and I heard myself moan, and move my hips towards his. He went back to placing kisses at my neck, but now they started to trail up towards my ear, and then down my jaw line until he got to my chin, and then he captured my lips. I moved my body to meld against his, and I felt him grind his hips into mine, and I realized I could feel his arousal, but I didn't care so much this time.

I felt his tongue asking for permission, and I granted it. As before, I followed his lead. This was only my second open mouth kiss, so I was still unsure if I was even doing it right until I heard and felt Eric grunt and grind his hips again.

I was feeling light headed after only a moment of his attack on my mouth and body, but I was brought back to the present when I heard and felt his fangs pop out. He broke our kiss and looked down at me, his face hovering over mine, our noses nearly touching. I was gasping for breath, and he smiled like he was quite pleased with himself for the state that his kiss had left me in. I saw his fangs, and like I had done the first night we met, I reached for them, only I didn't stop, and he didn't stop me. He closed his eyes as my finger caressed them. I reached my head up and took the initiative to kiss him this time. Only, this time, I ran my tongue over his fangs.

This brought a louder moan from Eric, and I felt his hands take either side of my face. And then I felt a small prick, and I realized I had cut my tongue on one of his fangs. My senses were so hyper aware, I could practically feel the drop of blood escape, and I knew the moment that Eric tasted it, because he broke our kiss and our eyes met.

His eyes were blazing blue, and he looked at me with that puzzled look he gives me sometimes. The one that usually makes me smile, only this time, I was looking at him just as puzzled, I'm sure.

"Eric?" I asked when he just continued to stare. His body had gone completely still except for his eyes, which were searching mine. I was worried he was going to be upset that he had taken some of my blood. It was just a drop, but he had expressed his concern over bonding, whatever that was, and I had no clue how much of my blood it would take to do that. Did this count as once? "I'm sorry." I said, but he stayed motionless. After about another minute of this, I was really starting to get worried. "What's wrong? I didn't mean to do that, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be." he said, and he was looking at me now like I was dinner. My mind kicked my body out of the way and took charge again. He leaned back down to kiss me again, but I moved my head to the side.

"I can't do this."

"Do what?" Eric breathed as he moved back to his original starting point, my neck.

"I don't want to have sex here."

Eric leaned back up and met my eyes. He looked like he just got the best Christmas present ever. "But you want to have sex? You will yield to me?"

I pushed a little on his chest, and while I was sure I didn't actually move him a single inch, he got the hint and moved off me, and I sat up so we were facing each other.

"No. I just mean… crud. This doesn't change anything, or change how I feel. I mean, I only just had my first kiss last night…"

"Last night?" That seemed to throw Eric for quite the loop.

I blushed. How pitiful did this sound. Twenty four, and I only just had my first kiss the night before. "In your office."

"I was your first?" I looked up at him for just a moment, but I couldn't read his face. I could see a million different expressions running across his face, and I couldn't pinpoint a single one of them.

"Yes." I blushed harder. I was sick of blushing. I needed to stop being so embarrassed. I was sure had I lived a normal life, things would have progressed normally in my life. I shouldn't be ashamed that I was only just experiencing things. I felt my blush fade. I mentally patted myself on the back for the pep talk. I met Eric's eyes with more confidence this time. He was back to looking like a kid on Christmas. "Oh get over yourself." I giggled.

Eric smiled and stood up. He offered me his hands, and pulled me to my feet like I weighed nothing. He placed a finger under my chin and bent down and gave me a quick, soft, gentle kiss on the lips. "Come, I'll take you home." He opened his arms, and I think he was expecting me to join him so that he could hold on to me as he launched us into the sky.

"Oh no you don't! Tell me where we are, and call me a cab. I'm not traveling like that again." I was shaking my head the whole time, and I continued to after I stopped talking.

"I won't let anything happen to you Sookie. Now come, stop being difficult."

"Whoa, wait a second, I'm not being difficult. It's perfectly natural to have a phobia of flying. Especially if the flying is how you do it."

Eric didn't even bother to respond. He took one step to close the gap between us quicker than I could process, had his arms around me, and lifted us both into the air. Just like I had before, I screamed as we took off, and I buried my face in his chest, and wrapped my arms around his back.

"Sookie." Eric laughed. "You should look. It's a beautiful view." I felt like we had stopped. Were we already back? No, we hadn't been in the air long enough. He must be hovering.

"If I do, will you leave me alone about it from now on?" I yelled into his chest.

He squeezed me a little tighter. "I will."

I peeked my head away from his chest and looked straight out. I didn't dare look down. I could see what I figured was Shreveport off in the distance, and I could see other small towns and I could see the highway. I could tell we were up high, but again, I wasn't about to look down. He was right though, it was beautiful. I looked up at him and he smiled down at me. Then I looked straight up, and saw how many stars were really out. "Wow." I didn't ever remember seeing so many.

Eric started to move us along, and I kept the side of my face against his chest, and I dared to watch the rest of the way back to my apartments. It had gotten late, and now the air was cooler, and I was starting to get a chill. "Are we almost back?" I asked. He shook his head that we were. My nose and cheeks got cold, so I put my face back into his chest. It wasn't much warmer there either, since he ran cold, but it was better than the night air and the wind brushing past us. My legs were frozen though, and there was nothing I could do about that.

Eric set us back down on my rooftop, and then still holding me, took us through the door that led back into the building, and down a few floors to my apartment where he finally set me down. He pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked my door, and I hustled in and ran to the heater, bringing it to life. I went over by the far wall of the living room, and stood over the grate in the floor where the heat rose from. Eric made himself comfortable on the couch.

Once I was warmed up and I could feel my legs again, I joined him. "Thank you for a lovely evening. It was very enlightening."

"Oh yes, it most certainly was."

I yawned. I could tell he was already thinking of either leaving, or trying to get me to go to bed so he could join me there. I stalled him. "Why did you act so strange when you tasted my blood? Were you worried about bonding?"

Eric stiffened a little. "No, that was not enough to start a bond."

"Then what was it?"

"You taste delicious." He said it like he was surprised.

"You didn't expect me to?"

"You smell divine. I expected your blood would be just as good. But it wasn't. It was exponentially better."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Yes. Because I want to taste more of you." I gave him a puzzled look, I was confused. He looked at me like I should be getting this, but quite honestly, I was just to tired to think straight I guess. "I fear that if I drank from you, I would want even more. We would end up bonding."

"But I thought you had excellent self control." I said a little sarcastically.

"I do. But I could very easily give two shits about bonding with you for a taste of your blood again."

"Oh."

"You should go to bed." he said, and rose from the couch.

"Okay." He offered me his hands to help me stand, and I took them. I noticed that it didn't seem like he was going to follow me to bed. I was a little disappointed. I enjoyed snuggling with him the night before, and I kind of wanted to do it again. But I was to shy to ask, and a little worried about what would happen considering how far I went not thirty minutes earlier.

But Eric didn't head to the door like I thought he would. "Go change. I'll be there in a minute." I looked up at him and smiled, nodding my head. I turned to head towards my room and he gave me a little pat on the bottom to scoot me along. I giggled and scurried to my room. Taking out a pair of blue jammie pants and a gray tank top. I took off my bra, and decided that I looked just fine in that tank top without it. I looked better than fine actually. I looked sexy. In fact, I couldn't ever remember looking this good. My hair was shinier, my skin was clear and bright and nearly flawless. Even my boobs looked a little perkier. I still wouldn't be able to go without a bra in public, but right now, they were perked just perfectly, and I felt very sexy indeed. I took my hair out of it's bun and let it fall lose around my shoulders. When I was done, I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and then headed back to my room, and jumped into bed, and under the covers.

I could hear Eric talking on his cell phone, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. I got comfortable, and waited… and waited… and soon I was falling asleep. I couldn't help it. I looked over at the clock. It was nearly two in the morning. I didn't realize we had been out that long. I realized that I was mentally tired, and it had worn out my whole body. I was about to fall asleep, and I hoped that Eric would get off his phone and join me before I did. That was the last thing I remembered.

When I opened my eyes again, Eric was hovering over me, his long blonde hair falling on either side of his face, creating a curtain around us. He was focused on me, and I couldn't pull myself from his gaze, his eyes a sparkling clear blue, clearer than I had ever seen. He was smiling, but not like I had seen him smile before. It was almost boyish, gentle and pure and loving. I shivered as I felt his hand touch my neck, but I never broke eye contact with him. I felt his hand start to slide down across my collar bone, then just the tip of his fingers were touching me as he glided them between my bare breasts, then down my stomach, and then lower… much lower. I realized I was naked, and so was he. I had one leg between Eric's, and I felt his arousal against the side of my thigh. I swallowed hard, and then felt Eric's fingers brushing over a part of me that no one but me had touched before. He ran a finger over a part of me that made me gasp and buck my hips. "Eric, please…" I whispered as he brought his face down to the crook of my neck and started to kiss and lick and nibble. I was feeling a little dizzy and light headed but in a very, very wonderful way. I had a hard time remembering how to breathe and I couldn't put a coherent thought together. And just as I felt like I was about to cross a line, fall from a cliffs edge, go somewhere unknown, I felt his finger stop it's movements, and move a little lower. And now he was teasing a new part of me, and just as he was about to enter…

I sat straight up in bed, and I was gasping for air. I looked around and realized the lights were out now, and Eric was in bed next to me. I looked over to him, and he looked like he was ready to pounce. He was on his side, one arm was folded under the pillow he was resting his head on, and the other had a death grip on the comforter. And I could hear him growling.

There was enough light coming in through the window that I was able to start to really focus on him, and I could see now that his fangs were out because his lips were protruding a little to make room for them.

My heart was racing, and I felt the same fire in my body that I had in my dream. For safety sake, I scooted away from Eric, and he didn't stop me. "Are you alright?" I asked, because he looked absolutely tortured.

"I will be." he mumbled. I thanked the stars for his self proclaimed impeccable self control. I guess it wasn't really self proclaimed any more, because I was seeing it in action. I realized that I should be thanking the stars for my self control as well. Because it was taking every ounce of strength I had not to close the now wide gap between us.

After I got my breathing under control and my heart rate down, I relaxed a little more, but stayed on the other side of the bed from Eric. I was never more grateful for the California King size bed he had furnished than right now.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Yes." he said, and let out a long, unnecessary breathe. I watched as he unclenched the comforter, and then he visibly relaxed his entire body. I let out a breathe that I didn't realize I had been holding. Without saying another word, he reached out to me, and I took his hand, letting him pull me back to him. He turned me so that my back was to him, and I let my body fold into his. He wrapped an arm and leg over me, and I never felt so secure and content in my life. And that's how I slept the rest of the night.

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><p><strong>So yeah, no Queen. How bout THEM APPLES! Haha! Anywho, you may have noticed I didn't mention Andre. Well, that's because I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with him, or if I'm going to include him at all. I was thinking of having Andre, but have him and Sophie-Ann not as close as they had been. Not sure yet, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.<strong>

**Hope ya'll enjoyed.**

**Until next Sunday!**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies!**


	8. It's A Technological Age Sookie!

**Hello all. Sorry for the delay in posting this. There was a loss in the family last Friday.**

**I will post again on Sunday for sure. That chapter is already written.**

**Thanks for the reviews, and I will try to respond. But if I don't, know that it's still appreciated and I love them, and they make me smile.**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies.**

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><p>The next day I woke up alone. I sighed. What a night. I turned my head towards the bedside clock, it was only ten in the morning. I usually slept in longer than this. But alas, I was awake. I rolled over to get out of bed, and stopped when I got to the pillow that Eric had been resting on the night before. I inhaled deep. I could smell him there. His dry, almost sweet scent lingering there. I wondered if this is what I smelled like to other vampires because of Eric's blood in me. I inhaled one more time, as deep as I could, wishing that the scent would stick around in my nose for a while. I didn't want to be running back to my bed all day sniffing my pillow. I laughed to myself and hauled my butt out of bed.<p>

First things first, coffee. I had the self timer on the machine set for eleven thirty each morning, because that was when I had my alarm set to go off, but I hit the override as soon as I got to the kitchen and the machine started to work its magic. I headed back to the bathroom and took care of my business, brushed my teeth, and ran my brush through my hair, then put it up in a pony tail. I splashed some water on my face, and headed back to the kitchen. Just in time for the coffee to about finish brewing.

I poured myself a cup, and went in search of my cell phone. I found it trying to hide between my couch cushions. Sneaky little phone. I had a feeling it was trying to revolt against me since I still had almost no clue how to use it.

I pushed the little button on the lower middle of the face of the phone, and brought the screen to life. Two missed calls from Bill and a text message.

The text read: "Are you with Eric?"

"None of your darn business." I said aloud to myself. I cleared out the message and the missed calls and went back to the kitchen, cell phone in hand.

I sat at the table and finished my first cup, then poured myself another before I called Amelia.

"You're up early." she answered.

"Morning to you too." I laughed.

"So what do I owe this pleasure?"

I regaled her with the happenings of the night before. She was silent, (for once) as I gave her the run down. I didn't give her to much detail, and I didn't tell her about the whole royal situation for the state. Nothing that was Eric's business. Just mine. I told her about the flying, the picnic that he had waiting for us, the discussion about what he wanted from me, and how I very nearly gave in.

"Holy crap Sookie!"

"I know."

"You know, as long as you keep leading him on with all this kissing business, he's going to keep pestering you to sleep with him."

"I know. And I know that it needs to stop. I just really, really like it."

"I bet. He's had a lot of practice." she said, and we both giggled.

"But hey, there's something else I need to talk to you about." I sounded a little more serious now. "He's moving down to New Orleans in a week, and I'm going with him."

"So I'm out of a job?"

"Well, not yet. I really want you to come with if you're willing. But either way, before I go, I need your help with one last thing."

"Sure. Shoot."

"I want to find my brother. And I want to find out what happened with my parents house, and my Gran's."

"You sure you're ready for that? We can always find them later. Just because you're going to New Orleans doesn't mean that we can't find that out down there."

"I know, but if Jason is still around Bon Temps, it would be so much easier to see him. And this way, if he doesn't want anything to do with me, well, then I'm headed to New Orleans, and it will be like a fresh start."

"Alright then. Consider me on the job. You got any details you can give me to get me started?"

I gave her Jason's full name and what I thought was his birth date. I gave her what I seemed to remember being our address at Gran's, and what I thought I remembered hearing as Gran's maiden name. She assured me that it shouldn't be to hard to track something down. We said our goodbyes and I set my phone back down on the table. I finished my second cup of coffee and started to do my chores. I made myself breakfast, ate, and cleaned up after myself. I went to my room, and gathered a load of laundry to start. After that, I started in on the bathroom. I kept the place pretty clean, so all this didn't take to long.

By noon, I was putting the load of laundry in the dryer, and I was tired again, ready for a nap since I had gotten up earlier than usual. I plopped my lazy self down on the couch. But I couldn't sleep. My mind was racing now. Just great.

I started to think about Eric, and everything that had happened the night before. It had been so nice. So very nice. He made me feel ways that no one had ever made me feel before. I had it bad for him, I realized. Which was terrible, because he basically told me that he would never, or could never, feel the same way. Because of my blood, because he couldn't risk bonding with me, if we ever did have sex, that would be all we could have together. And I wanted more.

I felt like he would be making me just another Ginger or Molly. Or one of the women that he would chose each night at Fangtasia. And no matter how much I liked him, or how much I wanted to be with him, it would never be what I wanted it to be, so I had to just forget it.

But as I laid there, I couldn't. I just kept replaying our kiss from the night before. How it felt having his body on mine. And then there was my dream. Oh my! I had no clue where that one had come from. I certainly had never had a dream like that before. I mean, I'd had dreams like that before, but never ever that vivid. Oh my stars…

I was actually getting a little hot and bothered just thinking about it. I needed to stop, or I was going to need my very first cold shower, and I wasn't looking forward to that.

I had to clear my head. I did the only thing that I knew would totally clear my head. I started to count backwards from three hundred, three at a time… there, that was working. I was just dozing off when I heard the buzzer from the dryer go off. Crap.

I got up off the couch and got my laundry. I took it to my bedroom and started to fold and hang my clothes when I heard my cell phone ringing. I ran to the kitchen to retrieve my cell, and saw from the caller ID that it was Amelia.

"What's up?" I asked as I answered. I realized my phone manners were no better than hers.

"I found him. Actually, I found out everything you asked."

"That was fast." I felt my heartbeat rising.

"Well, we live in a technological age Sookie Stackhouse. You can find anything on the internet if you know where to look." She sounded like a news anchor. We both giggled when she was done.

"Well, lay it on me." I said, and I searched around for a pen and paper. "I'm ready." I told her once I found them.

"Well, Jason's in Bon Temps. He's living in your parents home. Unmarried, no kids. He retained your Gran's house as well, and as far as I could tell, no one's living in it. He basically inherited everything."

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't have said anything even if I wanted to, because tears were streaming down my face. Had Jason been this close the whole time, since he turned eighteen, and never even bothered to see me? Or reach out to me? Would he want to see me even if I contacted him?

"I have his phone number if you want it." I heard Amelia say, her voice trying to sound soothing. "Are you okay?" she asked. I guess she could hear me crying.

"I'll be fine." I wiped my eyes with my free hand. "What's his number?"

Amelia gave me the information, and told me to call her if I needed anything. After we hung up, I sat at the kitchen table, staring at Jason's number. I started to dial a few times, but stopped before I finished.

Then I just sat there and cried for a while. And after that, I just rested my head on my arms and sulked, until I looked at the clock and realized it was time for me to get ready for work. I moped around while I got ready, and tried to think of things to perk me up, but it was no use.

Eric didn't even manage to startle me when he came bursting through my bathroom door as I was putting on my makeup. Which was good, because I could have lost an eye.

"Are you alright?" he asked. He seemed thoroughly concerned, and was clenching and unclenching his fists as he stood in the door way.

"I'm fine." I held in the tears. I would not cry around him again. Nope.

"Then why have I felt you in such pain since I rose? Why didn't you answer your phone?" He seemed pissed.

And crap, had I managed to lose my phone again?

I slammed down my mascara on the counter, and whipped around towards him. "Jesus, can't I get any privacy from you?" I didn't mean to snap, but I was already on edge today, and he managed to push all the wrong buttons for some reason, just by being concerned.

He started to step towards me, and extended an arm to me, but I pushed him away. He didn't like being pushed away very much, even thought I didn't really move him a single inch. But he had pulled his arm back, if only for a moment. Now, he reached for me again, and his time, even though I pushed, he got me, and pulled me to him. Only, I didn't break down once he had to against him. I just got angrier. I wanted to be left alone. Couldn't I sulk in peace?

"What has upset you, my Sookie?" he said, still clutching me to him. What did he mean "my Sookie?" I wasn't his. I just left my arms at my side as he tried to comfort me.

"I don't want to talk about it. Can you please let me go." I said quite sternly.

He did, and I took a chance and looked up at him, and found that he looked a little hurt. Now I felt guilty. Darn him!

"I'm sorry. I just had a rough day." I said, and I could see him opening his mouth to say something, but I put my hand up. "I said I didn't want to talk about it." He closed his mouth back up, but he didn't look very happy. I guess this was one of those times he talked about where I tried him, and had I been anyone else, I would have lost a limb. I tried to sound calmer. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure you were all right." he said, trying to sound as even as possible, because his tone did not match the pissed off look on his face. I smiled a little, because I really did think it was kind of sweet, and I wanted to defuse the situation. "You're to valuable an asset to lose."

Oh, low blow. I felt a pain in my gut, and tears welling up in my eyes. "Is that all then?" I asked, trying my hardest to hold it together. Sure, I hadn't been that nice to him since he showed up, but he pushed. And what he said was just uncalled for.

"Your car will be here to get you at nine." With that, he was out the bathroom door, and out of the apartment at his vampire speed.

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><p>Work didn't go much better. I was sitting at the booth alone. Eric had been at his throne, but some girl caught his fancy, and he took her back to his office. He made sure to stare at me while they made their way from the dance floor and towards the hall that led to his office.<p>

"Will you two get over yourselves already and fuck?" Pam said as she took a seat across from me.

"Can you watch your language please? It's bad enough I hear it all night from them." I made a sweeping motion with my arm out across the crowd, indicating to every single patron there.

Pam smiled her creepy Alice smile at me, and I just rolled my eyes. Ginger came over with a gin and tonic for me. My second one that night. On an empty stomach. I asked her to also bring me my usual glass of water with orange, because I was really starting to feel the effects from the first drink.

"Ginger seems good considering what happened two nights ago." I commented to Pam as I took a sip of my drink.

"I glamoured her. And Molly. They don't remember a thing."

"I wish I could be glamoured." I mumbled to myself.

"Why?" Pam asked. She seemed genuinely interested, and confused.

"Just wishing there were some things I could forget." I took another sip. "It just seems like it would make life easier."

"But easy isn't as much fun. Besides, why would you want to be like one of those brainless twits? I like you just the way you are."

I smiled at her now. And then I picked up something in the crowd. "See that guy over there, red shirt, long dark hair, talking to the guy at the end of the bar." Pam nodded that she knew who I was describing. "He's trying to sell V."

"Thank you." she said as she got up. But she didn't head to him right away. Instead, she came to my side and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I hope whatever is bothering you is resolved quickly. I don't like sulking Sookie. She's not as much fun." Then she headed over to the bar, grabbed the guy selling V by the collar, kicked him in the back of his knee causing his leg to buckle, and then she drug him outside. I felt terrible for giggling, but it was quite a site, and he deserved it for being so stupid as to try to sell V in a vampire owned establishment.

Seriously.

I stayed in the booth for a while, and when I got bored, I went to the bar to introduce myself to the new bartender. His name was Chow, and I could tell he didn't like me very much. But I didn't know why. So I made my way back over to the booth, and spend the rest of my shift there.

Eric didn't come to see me the rest of the night. But now that the bar was closing, and I was getting ready to leave, Pam came over and said Eric wanted to see me in his office. I figured it was for my nightly dose of his blood.

I knocked and waited for permission to enter before I went in. He was sitting behind his desk looking over some papers, but raised his head to me when I came in. He didn't look mad at me, and I wasn't really mad at him anymore either.

"I'm sorry about earlier." I said before he got a chance to say anything. "Amelia found my brother." That was all I had to say, and I saw his features soften a little. Like I said, he didn't look mad, but he had looked indifferent when I had come in. Now he understood, I was sure, why I had been upset earlier, and he didn't press me any further on it. He just rose from behind his desk and I let him hug me. I hugged him back.

"I apologize for what I said earlier." he said, saying the word "apologize" like it was unfamiliar to him. I imagined it was too. He probably had people telling him that all the time, but never had to say it himself. So I appreciated it even more.

"He's been living in Bon Temps all this time. I have his number."

Eric let me go and leaned back against his desk. I took a seat in the char in front of him. "Will you contact him?"

"I was thinking about it. But I'm scared of what he's going to say."

"That he won't want to see you?"

"Exactly."

Eric just stood there in silence, and I sat in silence. I felt comforted just being in his presence. I wondered if that was because of him or his blood. I figured it was a little of both. The silence was broken by a knock on the door from Pam.

"Your car is here." Eric said. He did what he usually did, and pricked his finger on one of his fangs, then offered it to me. I sucked a little so that I got a few drops, and then let go. Eric had his eyes focused on mine. I watched him calm himself down and smiled a little at how much he seemed to be concentrating at getting himself back to rights. He cleared his throat. "If you like, I will go with you to see your brother."

That was one of the sweetest things he'd ever said. I blushed, gosh darn it, and smiled down at me feet. "I might take you up on that. Thank you."

"Good night, Sookie." he said, and I guess that was my queue to leave.

"Good night, Eric."

Later while I was getting comfortable in bed, or at least, I was trying to, I still had Jason and the prospect of meeting him on my mind. I finally decided that I would ask Eric to come with me to meet him. If he would meet me, that is. I thought about just showing up, sneak attack reunion. That way, I could at least see him in person. Maybe if I was standing at his door, it would be harder for him to turn me away. If I called him, he might not agree to see me.

Yep, I would just show up at his door. And I'd take Eric with me to do it. One, because I still couldn't drive myself down there, and two, I might need someone to comfort me if it went bad.

* * *

><p>It was Sunday night. I had been trying to get the nerve up all weekend to actually make a plan, and this was my last chance if I was going to see Jason before we left for New Orleans.<p>

It was closing time, and I was sitting in Eric's booth with him. Pam was speaking with Chow at the bar, but would glance back at us every now and then and smile to reassure me. She knew that I was trying to work up the nerve to see Jason, and she even offered to take me, (or as she put it, "throw your ass in my car and take you down there.") but I wanted Eric there. It was a comfort thing.

"I was wondering…" I started, but froze up. Eric, who had been glancing around the bar, watching the stragglers leave, focused on me.

"Yes?" he asked when I didn't continue.

"Well, if you're free. I mean, if it's not to much trouble…" Crud. If I said it, it would be a plan, and I couldn't back out. But I couldn't get the words out.

"Sookie, what?" Eric said, smiling. He looked like he knew what I was going to say. I just didn't know if what he was thinking was right or not. Guess I was going to find out.

"Would you be able to take me to see Jason? Tomorrow?" I was wringing my hands in my lap, shredding the napkin that I was holding. I looked up at Eric.

"You have spoken with him? He will see you?" Eric quirked his eyebrow.

"Not exactly. I figured, if he saw me, it was less likely that he'd turn down at least talking to me a little. Right?"

"I don't see how anyone could." he sighed and smiled at me very devilishly. I blushed.

"Well, that remains to be seen."

"I will take you." he said very matter-of-factly. "Be ready at eight."

* * *

><p>The next night, the drive to Bon Temps had been faster than I would have liked. I asked Eric to slow down several times, reminding him that I was mortal, and there was only so much a seat belt would do, but he just laughed.<p>

Really, I just wanted a little more time to prepare to see Jason.

"Do not worry. He will not reject you." Eric said, taking my hand. He must have felt the spike in my nerves when he exited the highway. I also snorted at his "reject" remark.

We pulled up in front of my parents home just after eight thirty. It only took thirty minutes to get here, instead of the hour that Map Quest said it would take thanks to Eric's driving.

We sat in his car for a minute. I could see a light on, and I reached out with my mind to feel for the person inside. It was Jason. I felt sick to my stomach.

"You will be find. I will wait for you here." Eric said, but then got out of the car, and came to open my door just as I even registered him moving. He took my hand and helped me out of his corvette. I smoothed my hands over the pale blue shirt that I had paired with some jeans and sneakers. I wanted to look casual. Eric just looked like his usual non-work self. Jeans and a t-shirt, which tonight happened to be AC/DC.

I nodded at Eric, and started for the door, but Eric still had a hold of me. He pulled me back to him, and placed a kiss on my forehead before releasing me. I smiled up at him, took a deep breath, and headed for the front door.

I knocked a couple times, and then turned back to see Eric waiting in his car. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, and then I heard the door opening.

"Hi." was all I managed to get out before Jason dropped the glass he was holding and I watched it shatter on the floor, it's contents splattering all over the place. Jason didn't seem to notice.

"Sook?" he said, his mouth agape.

"Yeah." I smiled nervously. Jason hadn't moved, and I probed his mind. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation. He was in disbelief. "It's really me." I shrugged. Stupid nerves.

"What you doin' here?" he asked after a moment. "Weren't you…"

"Yeah. I got out."

"When?" he asked. We were still standing at the door, and I could tell from his thoughts, he was worried about letting me in.

"Bout a month and a half ago." I looked down at my feet, and kicked a little pebble. "I've been living in Shreveport, but I'm moving to New Orleans in a few days. I wanted to see you, ya know, before I left."

"Who's that?" Jason asked out of no where, motioning his head towards Eric's car.

"My boss." I said, and Jason just nodded. Then we just kind of stood there. I was to nervous now to dip into his mind. He hadn't invited me in, and he wasn't really saying much. I had a feeling this was going to go bad, and I didn't want advance notice. I wasn't sure I could take it hearing him say it, and I didn't want to think of what the un-edited version in his head would sound like.

I finally broke the silence. "So, I guess I just wanted to see you. It's been so long. I mean, you're my brother an all, and you're all I've got left… I guess. I was just hoping that maybe… oh shucks, I don't know." I felt tears stinging my eyes, and I willed myself to hold them in. I was sure Eric felt my mood shift to sadness.

"Sook, listen this is just so outa the blue, ya know?" He rubbed the back of his head with a hand. "I really don't know what to say."

"I should have called first. I shouldn't have just shown up here. I'm sorry." I stuck my hands in my pockets and lowered my head so he couldn't see the tear that rolled down my cheek. "Hey, I was wondering if maybe I could go see Gran's place before I left here?"

"She left me that house fair and square. You ain't thinking of fighting the will are ya?" He sounded half concerned, and half defensive. It was like he had just stabbed me.

"No I was just wondering if I could go have a look. See if any my old stuff's still there? I'm sorry, never mind I guess." I looked back at Eric's car, and Eric. "Look, this was a bad idea. I'm sorry." I dug in my pocked and pulled out a slip of paper I had prepared before Eric had come to pick me up. It contained my name and number, in case he wasn't at home. I handed it to him. "In case you change your mind." I said, and turned to walk from the porch. I heard Jason step out the front door.

"Sook wait." he called, and as I turned around to see him there, Eric whizzed by me, and had Jason by the collar of his shirt, and held him a good foot off the ground. He looked furious, and I could hear him growling.

"You treat your sister with such disrespect?"

"Eric, put him down!" I yelled. Jason just looked shocked. He was wide eyed, and his mouth was hanging open.

Eric turned to me, still holding a shocked Jason in the air. "I can glamour him to respect you."

I almost said yes, but it wouldn't have been right. I would always know Jason didn't really want to see me. Our relationship would be fake. I knew that it was a possibility that he wouldn't want to see me, and I had tried to prepare for that. No, I had a better idea.

"I want the keys to Gran's place." I said, a little shocked at myself. "And I want the deed. Right now." I had no clue what had come over me.

Eric smirked. I blushed at how blatant and demanding and underhanded I had sounded. Gran would have whopped my bottom for that, but well, Gran wasn't here. And she would have done a lot worse to Jason for how he had treated me.

Eric turned his attention back to Jason. His stare looked like it was boring a hole right through Jason, and he repeated my request. Jason nodded, looked a little dazed, and Eric set him down. Jason fished his keys out of his pocked, removed one, and handed it to Eric. He then turned and ran back into the house, returning a few minutes later with some papers, handing those to Eric as well. "My lawyer will contact you regarding officially signing the house to your sister, but in the mean time, you will declare it is her home."

"It's Sookie's home." Jason droned out. Eric turned around and put his hand on my shoulder, turning me with him and leading us back to the car.

Once we were in, we sat there for a moment. I was bound and determined not to cry. "Where to?" Eric asked, breaking the silence.

"Can we go to my Gran's?" I asked, and Eric nodded as he started his car.

"Anything your heart desires." he said, and I giggled a little at that. We pulled away from Jason's house, and I watched as he just stood there, looking stunned. I waived, but he didn't waive back. "He is a fool. And a worthless human."

"He was shocked to see me." I said, trying to defend him. "I should have called him first."

"He is your brother. He should have been pleased to see you."

I chucked a little. "Maybe he'll come around." I shrugged. I felt a waive of sadness wash over me, and Eric decided to change the subject. Not that his next topic was any better.

"Have you spoken with Bill tonight?" he asked.

That was another subject I really didn't want to talk about. Bill had been a little upset that I hadn't warned him about spending an evening with Eric. I had told him it was business related and last minute, but I wasn't sure that he bought it. After that, he had only come in to Fangtasia once over the weekend. He had sat with me while I worked, took me for a spin on the dance floor, then told me he had to go. He did make sure however, to kiss me again, and in front of Eric. Eric in turn, had been a little more aggressive that night when giving me his blood before I went home.

Men.

But Bill still called me every night. And we would talk for about thirty minutes. He seemed to be losing interest in trying to court me, which was fine and dandy with me, but Eric was a little displeased.

Eric wanted me to keep Bill around, although, not to close. Which was, dating, but nothing intimate. For example, kissing. This conversation happened after he had seen Bill kiss me at the club. I giggled, and felt warm and fuzzy because it seemed like Eric was jealous.

I made the mistake of asking him about it, and he promptly told me he didn't get jealous, and he wasn't nice about it either.

So here we were, Bill and I, "dating" for all intensive purposes. Both with a hidden agenda. Bill's was to get me to go with him to Mississippi, and mine was to see what information I could get out of him. We already knew his plan, but Eric wanted to see if there was anything else Bill knew that might be useful to Eric.

"No. But he usually doesn't call until later." I checked our surroundings. I was leading Eric to my Gran's house by memory. A very fuzzy memory. "Turn here." I said, and we were headed down the drive to my Gran's. "So do I get to dump Bill when we move?" I asked, a giant smile plastered across my face.

Eric laughed. "Yes, you can dump Bill. I doubt he would follow you down there anyway. His mission will be a failure, and I wish that I could be there when he comes back empty handed. Have you told him about your move?"

"Nope. Was waiting for the all clear from you."

"You may call him once we are down there. I don't want to take any chances if he gets desperate, knowing you are leaving."

We stopped in front of the house then. It looked like Jason hadn't kept it up, which made me sad. I sighed and got out of the car, then motioned for Eric to follow. I walked up the porch, Eric following me, and unlocked the front door. I stepped in to the house, and took a chance at flipping a switch, but the power was off. The moonlight was coming in just enough that I could tell the furniture was covered with sheets, and it looked like no one had been here in quite some time. I took a few more steps into the living room when I heard Eric clearing his throat behind me.

"I'm sorry. Eric, please come in."

Eric stepped in, looked around and scrunched his face. "I will have someone come clean this place if you wish."

"No, there's no point. I won't be staying here. Maybe some day, I'll move back, but it's pointless to have it cleaned right now."

"I can make your brother do it." Eric said, and flashed me a wicked grin.

"You would too." I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I think I'll see if I can have someone come fix up the outside though. Check the building out and that sort of thing."

Eric nodded. My eyes were adjusting to the dark, and I noticed I was seeing a lot clearer in the low light, so I ventured towards the hall, Eric following me again. I went to what had been my room the short time that I had lived here. The door to it was open, and I could see my old furniture still in there, covered by more sheets. I could make out my bed and dresser, and some of my childhood things. It brought tears to my eyes that Gran seemed to have kept things the way they were when she sent us away. Jason just hadn't seemed to care enough about the house to do anything with it after Gran was gone. I was glad he had at least covered things.

I looked around the room, picking up small toys and pictures and examining them. It was so depressing. I started to fall deeper into sadness, and I could tell that Eric was feeling it. He moved to come towards me, but I held up a hand to stop him. Right now, I just wanted to be alone. He backed up to stand in the doorway and watched me walk around the room as I examined my old things.

I started to picture the life that I would have had if Gran hadn't sent us away. I thought about the sleepovers I had missed. I thought about the friends that I could have made. My sixteenth birthday, getting my drivers license. Graduating high school. Going to college maybe. Getting a job, perhaps at the local bar and grill. Turning twenty-one. All the rights of passage that I had been denied because of that stupid hospital. Because of my stupid curse. Eric had called it a gift once. Some gift. Look what I had missed out on because of it. It really truly was a curse. Standing there, picturing the life that I could have had, and everything I had missed out on, I felt like I had truly lost everything.

I started to cry in earnest.

I felt Eric's arms wrap around my waist, and his chin rested on my shoulder. I leaned back in to him, and he nuzzled his face in my neck.

"Do you wish to leave?" he asked into my neck.

"Please." I whispered back, and Eric turned me around, then lifted me up, carrying me out of the house, shutting and locking the door behind him. He sat me down at his car, and I leaned against it. Eric was standing in front of me, and as my last tear rolled down my cheek, he reached out a finger and gathered it.

This whole night had been one huge mistake. I was contemplating going back to Jason's and giving him back the deed, and having Eric undo his glamour.

"You wish to go home?" Eric asked.

"Yeah."

Once we were back at my apartment, my sad mood continued. I shuffled to my bedroom, grabbed my sleep pants and an oversized sleep shirt, and headed towards my bathroom. When I emerged, I found the lights were out in the living room and kitchen. I went to my bedroom, and Eric was in my bed. He had discarded his AC/DC shirt and his shoes, and was under the covers. I looked on the ground, and didn't see his jeans, so I was happy that he would have at least some clothing on. I wasn't in the mood for any of his advances tonight.

I flipped the light switch, and stood for a moment to let my eyes adjust before I made my way to the bed. Eric pulled back the covers for me, and I climbed in. He didn't waste any time in pulling me against him, but I didn't fight it.

"I don't like feeling your sadness."

"I can't help it." I said into his chest. I pulled my head away a little, because the scattering of blonde curls that rested there were tickling my nose.

"How can I fix this?"

"I don't think you can unless you have a time machine." I sighed. Eric started to say something, but I stopped him. "Can we just lay here?" I asked. He responded by kissing the top of my head. I pulled myself as close to him as I could get, and his grip on me tightened. That was how I fell asleep.


	9. The Jabberwocky

**Hey everyone, happy Sunday.**

**THANK YOU for the reviews. Sorry that I didn't get a chance to respond to them personally. It's been a rough weekend. I'm trying to get in the habit of doing that though. But really, I am thankful for all your wonderful comments, your PM's, and the alerts that this story has been given.**

**So this chapter was written throughout this past week when I was not at my best. I think it turned out quite dark because of that, but in the end, I like where it took me, and it's important to the story I have planned.**

**On that note, Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**And the same for Lewis Carroll for the chapter title and poem verse below.**

**ATTENTION!**

**This chapter is RATED M due to violence and scenes of a strong sexual nature. If you don't want to read that kind of stuff, stop after Eric's POV (yeah, I added a small piece of Eric here)**

**You have been warned.**

**More next Monday 06/27 (I'm having a party next Sunday for True Blood, so I won't have time to post next weekend.)**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Booches.**

* * *

><p><em>And as in uffish thought he stood,<em>  
><em>The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,<em>  
><em>Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,<em>  
><em>And burbled as it came!<em>**  
><strong>

* * *

><p>It was my last night working at the club. I was sad that I would be spending it without Eric or Pam, but they were busy settling up things with Chow, who was now a partner with them, buying out Long Shadow's piece of the business.<p>

Even though I was lonely, I would have preferred that to what I saw coming towards me.

"Sookie. I've missed you." Bill said as he came to my side at the bar, kissing my cheek. I put on my best fake smile I could muster.

"Hey Bill. Missed you to." I said, then took the last sip of my gin and tonic. I couldn't wait to tell him that I was leaving.

Bill took a seat at an empty bar stool next to me, and the small and very intimidating female vampire who was running the bar in Chow's absence wordlessly brought Bill a True Blood. He took a drink and then focused back on me. "I would like to take you to dinner tomorrow."

Oh great. Well, I guess I could make the plans, and then cancel, right? Just call him and tell him I'm leaving? "Sure. What time you want to pick me up?"

We made our plans, and then made small talk, which I could tell that he hated, which just spurred me on further. I held on to that small talk though for as long as I could. And when it was wavering, and Bill was giving me that look that he does when he wants to dance, I dug deep to feel as distressed as I could. It was my little secret weapon that I had discovered. Well, I didn't actually discover it, but I figured it out a few days ago. I feel upset or sad or in this case, distressed, and Eric comes to check on me. I wasn't trying to abuse it though. But when I discovered that I could do it all on my own, call to him so to speak, like that without actually really feeling that emotion, I figured it would come in handy. And I wasn't about to tell him what I was doing either. I didn't want him to decide to not come when I really did need him because he thought I was crying wolf.

And sure enough, just a minute of that, and Eric came a walking down the hall from his office, his eyes quickly scanning the club for me, and when they found me, I watched him roll his eyes, and come to my side.

He played it cool, realizing, or so he thought, the reason for my distress. "Compton. Here again?" Eric sounded absolutely bored. It was great.

"Sheriff." Bill said, the annoyance spilling off him. I fought to hold back a laugh.

"Sookie, can I please see you in my office?" Eric said, and then walked away, back towards the hall. Crud, was I caught?

"Excuse me." I said to Bill, and scurried after Eric. I followed him into his office, and shut the door behind me. Pam was sitting behind his desk, and Chow was standing over her shoulder. Both of them concentrating on whatever she was showing him on the computer.

"Sookie." Pam greeted, but never raising her eyes from the screen.

"Pam." I smiled.

"Was Compton bothering you?" Eric asked, caressing my cheek. He had gotten very touchy-feely with me the last few days. There had been a shift with us since the night that he took me to see Jason and go to my Gran's house. As far as I was concerned, it was a shift for the better. For my better, because he was acting like the Eric that I thought he could be, and treating me like I knew he could, but he had said he couldn't. This was exactly what I needed to prove my case to him the next time he tried to tell me he couldn't give me what I needed in a relationship.

"He always bothers me. I didn't mean to disturb you though, I'm sorry." I absentmindedly leaned my head into his hand. "I should get back out there." I sighed.

Eric nodded, and followed me out the door. But before I could walk back out to the club, he grabbed my hand and pulled me out the back door. Well this was unexpected. He let the door shut before he spoke. "It's just for tonight. After that, you won't have to see him again."

"I know. He asked me out tomorrow after work here. I told him that was fine." I smiled. "I'm looking forward to canceling."

Eric leaned in and smelled me. He didn't get close enough to tickle me like he did sometimes when he did that, but I giggled anyway. "You smell like him." he growled.

"You coming over tonight after you get out of here?" Eric had been spending every night with me since the Jason/Gran incident. It had only been four nights, but it was four wonderful nights. I enjoyed talking to him alone in my apartment. And I enjoyed snuggling with him when I went to bed. I felt guilty like I was taking up his time. I was sure most of the time, he had something better he could be doing. But I wasn't about to ask, because I didn't want him to stop either.

It was part of my master plan, and I felt like it was working. He had told me that he wasn't capable of what I expected from him if he wanted me. But I was slowly proving him wrong.

"As much as I would like, tonight I cannot. There is still much to be settled before we leave." He pulled me to him and hugged me against him. I wrapped my arms around him, and we stood there like that. This was a much different Eric than the one that I had met almost two months ago. This was even a different Eric than the one from a week ago.

I evil laughed in my head. Muah ha ha!

"You're right. I need to get some stuff packed and sorted anyway." I smiled up at him and he released me. "I guess it's time to go back in." I took a deep breath, and we both headed to the door.

I spent the rest of the night at the club with Bill practically hanging off me. I suspect that he wasn't happy about me smelling like Eric, but oh well. I just didn't care.

When the club closed, and he was talking his leave, Bill pulled me to him, and kissed me again, but this time, on the lips. It was all smushy and felt forced like it had the first time. He forced his tongue in my mouth, and I went with it for a few seconds before I pulled away. He couldn't really be enjoying this, could he? I was sure he could tell I wasn't, regardless of how hard I tried to fake it. I could have done a happy dance when he released me.

"Goodnight my dear. I shall see you tomorrow when you get off work." He kissed my forehead one more time, and hugged me to him. It was almost like he was trying to rub his scent all over me like Eric sometimes did if I had been around Bill. I was sure if they could pee, one of them would have marked me like that already.

"Night Bill. See you tomorrow." I smiled my best southern girl charm smile at him and gave him a little waive. Once Bill was out the door, I heard Pam behind me laughing.

"If I could still vomit, I think I would have just now." she said, and laughed a little more. I joined her.

"Well, I can vomit, and I can tell you that if I don't get some mouthwash soon, I'm going to." I wiped my mouth like a child would after they got a big slobbery kiss from a distant aunt or something. This only spurred Pam's and my laughter more.

When we both finally calmed down Pam asked if I was ready to leave tomorrow.

"Yeah, I've got a little packing to do either tonight or tomorrow when I get up. But not much. I'll be ready to leave when ya'll wake up." We started to make our way back to Eric's office to that I could retrieve my purse.

"I am glad that you chose to come with us." she said, and stopped me just before we got to the office door. "I can see why Eric is drawn to you. You are an extraordinary human."

I blushed. "Well gee, thanks Pam. You're pretty awesome for a vampire yourself."

Pam smiled at me, and we both went in to the office together. Chow was gone, and Eric was sitting behind his desk. He smiled at both of us when we came in. "Your car will be here shortly Sookie." He rose from behind his desk. "I want you to take a little more of my blood than usual tonight. I don't know that we will have the chance over the next few nights."

"That's fine." I said, and let Eric walk over to me, taking me in his arms so that my back was to him.

"Leave us." he said to Pam.

"See you tomorrow Sookie." she waived as she left.

I heard Eric bite into his wrist, and then bring it down to my lips. I took his wrist in my hands, and brought it the rest of the way to my mouth. I took two quick draws, and on the third, I slowed down and drew deep. It was a reaction to Eric, who was pulling me closer to him, and moaning into my neck. Out of no where, I moaned with him this time, which seemed to spur him on more.

The hand he had resting on my stomach when he had drawn me to him was now rubbing up and down stopping just short of my breasts when it moved up, and just short of my lady parts when it moved down. I could feel his hardness pressing into me, and I did something I had never done before. I responded to it. I wasn't sure if it was because of the blood, or the change that was happening to us over the last few days, but I wanted him then more than I had ever before.

I took another draw of his blood, and felt the wound closing. I released his wrist, but Eric didn't stop his movements, and I didn't stop mine. Now that his wrist was free, he brought it down to my stomach to join his other hand, which was now resting just under my breasts. "Yield to me." he half whispered, half growled into my neck.

I could only think of one response. I hope he understood what I meant by it. "Yield to me." I whispered back. He must have got what I meant, because he stopped what he was doing, and released me. I turned to face him. "That's what I thought." I said.

"I cannot give you what you ask." he was practically panting, but so was I.

"You can, and you will. When you're ready." I said, and Eric quirked an eyebrow. "And when you are ready, I'll be waiting."

I winked at him, turned my back to him, picked up my purse, and walked out of his office. I felt rather proud of myself then. I smiled to myself. I made my way out the back door, found the driver waiting with my ride home, and I left. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I turned to find Eric standing outside, leaning against the building, shaking his head.

* * *

><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

What had this woman done to me? Yield to her? I did not yield to a woman.

But I had been very close just then.

"She has you wrapped around her little finger." I heard Pam say as she joined me outside. We both watched the taillights to Sookie's car fade in the distance. "I like her, but she is dangerous to you. This must stop Eric. She will put us all in danger."

"You're speaking very candidly tonight. Are you sure that is wise?" I said.

Pam turned to me. "I didn't mean to offend Eric. I'm just concerned. We are on shaky ground as it is this last year. You need to appear in control in New Orleans. It won't look good if you're fawning over some human."

"I am not fawning over her."

Pam snorted. "I don't know what has gotten in to you. But you are different. I can feel it. I can see it."

Now it was my turn to snort. But I knew that Pam was right. I was chasing this girl around like a horny teenage boy. I did not chase a girl around. They came to me. They always had. I didn't have to try.

But I was drawn to her. "It's because she's had my blood. I am not used to a human having my blood in them. It will pass." I told Pam, but who was I fucking kidding. Perhaps it started because of the blood, but that was not why it continued.

Sookie was different. I had never met another creature like her. She was like a flame, and I was the moth.

And I needed to get it under control before we arrived in New Orleans, because Pam was right. With everything going on in our state, I could not appear weak in any way. It was already difficult keeping our independence as a state. I had to focus on the task at hand.

And when that was done, once things were settled for our state… I would have her.

* * *

><p><strong>SPOV<strong>

I woke up with the feeling of someone getting into bed with me. I was laying facing the window, and it was still dark. I smiled, because I hadn't been expecting Eric to come. He had said he couldn't, but after what had happened in his office, I was hoping that he would. Eric was above the covers, and he got all the way up behind me like he had the night before, and pulled me to him. In my sleepy haze, I smiled and folded my body into his like I had before, and he put an arm around me.

Only, he felt shorter for some reason, and he smelled different. "Eric?" I said as I turned over. "Holy shit!" I screamed when I saw it was Bill. He looked pissed. "What the hell?" I said, but in that instant, he pushed me over and covered my mouth with his hand.

"Calm down, Sookie. If you don't calm down, Eric will feel your fear, and he'll come here. If he comes, I'll kill you, do you understand?"

I could feel tears start to slide down my face. I closed my eyes and nodded that I understood. I was whimpering a little, but I was trying to reign in how scared I was. I didn't want to die. I just had to be calm. I had to. I would be alright if I stayed calm. Bill wouldn't kill me if I stayed calm, because he wanted me for Mississippi. I was no good to Mississippi if I was dead anyway, so I knew that if I stayed calm, I'd be alright for now.

Bill could see that I was calming down. "Good girl." He started to get up, but stopped. "I'm going to let you get up. If you try anything, you'll be sorry." I nodded, and he removed his hand from my mouth, and got up the rest of the way. I didn't move though at first. I watched Bill go over to my closet and open the doors. "Get up, pack a bag. We're leaving."

"You taking me to Mississippi?" I asked in a hushed voice. I wasn't sure I could speak any louder because all my energy was focused on staying calm.

I jumped when my cell phone rang, and Bill's head whipped around, and then an instant later he was at my nightstand, looking down at my phone. He picked it up and handed it to me. It was Eric calling. "Remember what I told you." he said as I took the phone from him.

"Hello?" I asked, cool as a freaking cucumber.

"You were scared." Eric said.

"Nightmare, that's all. I'm alright."

"I can come over if you wish." He said it so smooth. I could just see him smirking over the phone.

"No, I'm alright. Good night."

"Good night." Eric said, and Bill pulled the phone from me and ended the call before setting my phone back on the nightstand. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of bed, drug me around to my closet and practically threw me in it. I stumbled and fell to my knees.

"Get dressed." he said in a harsh tone, and I stood back up. Bill just stood there, and I could tell he wasn't about to give me any privacy. I took some jeans and the Fangtasia shirt that I had been given my first night outside the hospital. I turned my back to Bill as I changed.

I had my jeans and bra on when I felt Bill touch my side. I jerked away from his touch and he laughed. "You really are stunning. Perhaps I'll request an evening with you as my reward for bringing you to the King. It's been quite some time since I've had a virgin. Perhaps not since my wife."

I didn't even dignify him with a response. I just finished dressing and turned back to see him practically salivating. Gross.

"Let's go. Don't cause a scene or you know what happens. "

"You know this place has security cameras, right? When I don't show up, and he finds out I'm missing, he'll check them."

"Already taken care of. You think I'm that stupid?" he said as he pushed me out the front door.

"You're pissing off Eric Northman. So yeah, I think you are pretty stupid." I said as bubbly as I could. But it was stupid, because it earned me a knock to the back of my head, which sent me tumbling forward and onto my hands and knees. I sat up and put my hand to the back of my head. "Are you trying to make me upset so that Eric senses it? I thought you wanted me alive. You really are a dumb ass." I stood back up, and Bill looked more pissed than ever, but didn't hit me again. What an idiot.

We got down to the parking garage and Bill shoved me into his car. It was a black Mercedes with heavily tinted windows. He peeled out of the driveway and we headed towards the freeway. I knew we wouldn't be going to Mississippi tonight, because it was getting close to dawn.

I didn't ask thought, because once I saw the direction we were going, I knew. He was taking me back to his home in Bon Temps.

When he pulled up in front of his house, I spotted the grave yard that Jason and I used to play in across the way. My Gran's house was just past that. I sighed. I thought about making a break for it and running to Jason's. Regardless of how he felt about me, he couldn't deny at least trying to keep me safe until Eric came for me. I had to get free during the day. I had to, or I was going to end up in Mississippi, and I didn't want that.

Bill exited the car, and then came around to my door. He opened it, and grabbed my arm, dragging me out. I hardly kept my footing as he did it. When we got inside, I saw two men standing by a chair. One of them had rope in his hand.

Bill sat me down in the chair forcefully, and the two men got to work tying me up. Bill sent them outside when they were done, and he followed them. He was gone for a few minutes, and in that time, I tried to see if I could wiggle out of the restraints at all. Nope, not going anywhere anytime soon. I ceased my struggle when Bill walked back in.

"We leave at sundown." he said, and then left me alone in the room, and I had no clue where he went. I wish that I did thought, because if I got out of here during the day, I was going to stake him.

Dawn came, and I listened for the men outside. I could hear them still out there with my mind. There was one out the front door, and one out what I figured was the back. They were hard to read. It was mostly colors and flashes and smells and feelings, but nothing solid. I got that sometimes, but I didn't know why exactly. But I chalked it up to just being someone hard to read. Some were easier to read than others.

I started to see if I could wiggle and work my way out of the knot's. I didn't know what I would do once I was out, but at least I wouldn't be tied up anymore.

After about an hour struggling, I was still no further than I was when I started, but I wasn't giving up. I stopped thought when I heard one of the men coming in the house.

As soon as he was in the house, I started pleading with him. "Please, let me go. You can make it look like I escaped."

He just laughed and walked into what I assumed was the kitchen. He came back with a coke. "I can make it worth your while. I have money. My employer has lots of money. I know he'd pay you well if you let me go. More than whatever you're getting now."

"You're a pretty little thing, ain't you." he said, ignoring everything I had said. He walked over to me and put his hand on my right breast. I tensed up and moved as much as I could, which wasn't really much at all, trying to get him to get his hands off me. "Oh, feisty. I like it." He moved his hand to my other breast and squeezed. I was trying as hard as I could to stay calm. I really was, but it was getting to be quite difficult.

"Please." I whimpered. "Please just let me go." I felt a tear come down my cheek. I may not have been able to hear his thoughts clearly at all, but I understood the flavor of what I was getting from him now.

Then his phone rang, and he stopped what he was doing to answer it. "Yeah yeah, I'm on my way." He snapped his phone shut and reached down, cupping my vagina in his hand, rubbing just a little. "I'll be back for you later little lady." He released his grip and headed back out the front door.

I cried in earnest at that moment. I couldn't help it. I didn't care if Eric was alerted to my danger now. And I didn't care if Bill was going to kill me either. I didn't want to live if that piss poor excuse for a man came back and did what he was thinking about doing.

But then I fought to calm down. I wasn't going to give up this easily was I? Nope. So I fought like hell to get lose. Because I wasn't going to just let him get me, and I wasn't going to just let Bill take me to Mississippi. I at least had to try.

Seven hours and two very bloody and sore wrists later, I had a hand free. I used it to untie my other hand from the chair, and then I bent over and went to work on my legs. I gripped my wrists as gently as I could once I was free, and winced at the pain, and started to think of a way out.

Once I had it, I put my plan into action. I went to the kitchen and started searching. I found a cast iron skillet, and a steak knife. I went back to the living room, and stood by the door. I started to scream for help, hoping the man would come in to try to get me to shut up. I called and called until I heard him coming up the steps to the front of the house. I had put the knife in my back pocket, and now I was gripping the skillet by the handle with both hands. I had a death grip on that sucker.

He came in the door, and I had positioned myself so I would be behind it when it opened. As soon as he stepped in all the way, and I could see him, I raised the skillet over my head and managed to bash him on the side of his face just as he turned to me. He went down like a ton of bricks and I ran as fast as I could out the front door, dropping the skillet.

"You little bitch!" I heard him yell from the house. I couldn't believe he was still alive with how hard I had hit him, let alone conscious. But that didn't stop me. I just kept running, as fast as I could, towards the cemetery.

But I hadn't anticipated that he'd catch up, and pretty soon, he was right on my tail. What the hell? Was this guy super human or something? I felt a hand grab at my shoulder, but I slipped out of it, and tried to speed up. I grabbed for the knife that I had shoved in my back pocket. I was glad that I did, because in the next moment, he was grabbing for me again, and I spun around slashing it him. I managed to slice his chest, but it didn't matter because he screamed and grabbed at me again as I turned back around and this time he got me, and we both toppled over and he landed on top of me.

I had lost my footing so suddenly, I didn't have time to reach my hands out to brace myself, and I went face first into the grass, with the big lug landing on top of me. I scrambled almost right away to get lose, but it was no use with his weight on top of me. The knife went tumbling out of my hands and away from me.

I also realized that I had probably broken a rib when I landed, or when he landed on top of me. My chest was burning and throbbing with each breath that I took. Since it didn't look like I was going to be able to free myself from under him, I started to punch and kick at him as best I could in our awkward position. I had managed to roll over to my side so that I had somewhat of a shot at hitting him.

But the fact was, he was bigger and stronger than me, and soon, he had both my hands pinned down with one of his, and he was straddling me now.

He had turned me so that I was on my back, facing up at him. That thought he had had earlier came back. I started to cry.

"I'm sorry I hit you. Please, just let me go." I cried.

"Fuck you bitch." he said, and he used his free hand to unbutton my jeans. He reached a hand inside and I fought against him harder than I had before to try to get free. His fingers found my vagina and he rubbed his finger up and down it. It wasn't easy, since I had my legs clamped shut as tight as I could, but the fact was, he was overpowering me.

He stopped suddenly and removed his hand. He let go of my wrists, but grabbed behind my head, taking a fist full of hair, and he flipped me over so I was on my stomach. I tried again to crawl away, but he grabbed the top of my jeans and yanked them down.

He had a hold of me by my hair still, and I wasn't going anywhere.

Then I heard his belt clanking, and his jeans unzip. I heard him spit into his hand, and then his finger were back on me. I begged him to stop, I pleaded with him.

"Shut the fuck up bitch." he said, and I felt him rubbing himself against my entrance.

And then I heard a pop noise. "What the fuck?" I heard the man say, and then I felt him release me. I started to scramble away as fast as I could, pulling my underwear and pants back up as I did.

"Sookie wait!" I heard an unfamiliar female voice call. But I didn't stop. I kept on crawling until I got my footing back, and I started to stand. I didn't have much time, because I could see the sun starting to set. Bill would be awake soon. I had to get as much distance between me and him as I could. If I could get to Gran's house, I could break in, and he wouldn't be able to get in to get me.

"Sookie please!" I heard the voice call again. But I didn't turn, and I didn't stop. I just kept right on running.

And then I heard that popping noise again, and a woman appeared in front of me. She was there so suddenly, I didn't have time to stop myself, and I ran right in to her. Her arms were open, so I hit her chest, and she wrapped her arms around me, and then squeezed me to her and everything was drowned out by a bright gold light, just for a moment.

Then I was in my apartment, and the woman let me go. I collapsed on the ground, and everything went black.

* * *

><p>My eyes fluttered open a few times and then shut again. I had seen Pam kneeling over me. "She's coming around." she said. I had a familiar, sweet metallic taste in my mouth. Eric must have given me some of his blood. But I was still sore.<p>

"No." I groaned out. I forced my eyes open again. I grabbed on to Pam with every ounce of strength I had. I looked around and saw Eric standing over Pam, who had a shocked look on her face. Probably because I had grabbed her. I realized I was still on the floor where I had collapsed when the woman had brought me here. I was trying to process how that happened, but I couldn't. There was only one thing running over and over in my mind, and I felt tears rolling down my face.

Eric bent down and reached out to grab me, but I painfully scooted away from his touch. "Don't." I said in a scratchy voice. I looked up to Pam, and she looked up to Eric, who nodded. Pam, somehow, picked me up instead, and sat me on the couch, then sat herself next to me.

I collapsed against her, and cried in earnest. And bless Pam, she put her arms around me, even though I could feel she was a bit uncomfortable with it, and she let me cry.

"Hitta Compton. Jag kommer att ta hand om henne." Pam said to Eric. I heard him growl. I wasn't sure what she said, but I thought I heard Bill's last name in there, so I had a pretty good idea of what she told him. "I will call you if the situation changes." she said softly to him. Eric stood there for a moment longer before he stormed out. Pam went back to trying to comfort me. Once I was calmed down, Pam rose from the couch and then lifted me. She led us to the bathroom, and sat me at the vanity. She made quick work of starting a bath for me, and then turned back to me.

"Arms up." she said, and I complied. She lifted my shirt over my head, and I covered myself. Pam took in the sight of me and shook her head. "When I was human, a man took advantage of me once." she said, very flatly. I looked up at her, more tears spilling from my eyes. "Things were different then. I had wished someone was there afterwards to care for me. But instead," she stopped. "It doesn't matter. Come, I will help you." She reached her hand out to me and I took it.

I had been self conscious about undressing the rest of the way in front of her, and she didn't gripe this time when I wanted some privacy. I think she understood. Once I was in the bath, which was overflowing with bubbles, she turned back around and sat on the edge. She took the sponge that was there, and started to wash me. She was being very gentle and soothing, and soon, I found myself crying again. Pam just let me cry as she washed me.

When the water went cold, she helped me out, and wrapped my robe around me, leading me to the bedroom. I sat at the foot of my bed while she pulled out a large flannel nightgown. I patted myself dry with the robe, and Pam slipped the gown over my head. I scooted up the rest of the way in to bed, and Pam sat there with me.

"Do you require food?" she asked, and I shook my head that I didn't. I was no where near being hungry, and I was sure that if I did try to eat, I wouldn't be able to keep it down. "You should sleep. I will be here the rest of the night. You will have guards tomorrow."

"What about New Orleans?" I whispered.

"It can wait until tomorrow night." she smiled at me. "Now sleep."

I didn't think that it would be possible for me to sleep, but after laying there a few hours, I must have, because when I opened my eyes, Eric was back.

"Where's Pam?" I asked. Eric looked like I had woken him from a sleep, and I could see the relief on his face. He moved to join me in bed, but I scampered away from him, and he stopped. "Please don't." I said a little shaky.

"I won't hurt you Sookie." he said, backing away a little. I could hear pain in his voice.

"I know." I said, and started to cry again. What was I thinking? I knew Eric wouldn't do to me what that man had tried to. But the fact was, someone had tried to rape me. And I couldn't help the way I was feeling. I didn't want any man to touch me right now, regardless of their intentions. "Where's Pam?" I asked when I calmed myself down.

"She is in your living room." he said, and then rose and left my room. Pam came in a moment later.

She didn't say anything. She just got in bed next to me, keeping a little distance. But she reached out and took my hand, and I didn't flinch away.

* * *

><p><strong>I took some liberties with Pam's past as you can see, if you made it this far that is.<strong>

**That's all.**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies.**


	10. Zombie

**Hey there. Anyone still around? **

**Thank you for those who are. Sorry about the absense. I won't bore you with details, but sometimes RL gets in the way, kills your muse, and then takes up all your spare time, and you can't do the things you like, like writing and whatnot.**

**But, the muse is back, I kicked RL's ass and got some of my life back for the time being.**

**I won't make any promises on the next update, but I will post when I can, and I will finish this story.**

**I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I've deleted a little bit of the story I had so far. I was re-reading some of what I had, and didn't like where I was going with it. So I got rid of it, and started re-writing.**

**This is almost completely the same as the previous chapter 10, however the ending has changed. I'll also be posting a new chapter 11 in a few minutes.**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies!**

* * *

><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

I sat on Sookie's couch, waiting for Pam to emerge from Sookie's bedroom. She had been with Sookie nearly the entire night. She had come out once at my request, and I took her place, watching over Sookie as she slept. But when she awoke, she asked for Pam, and it broke my undead heart, which until that moment, I hadn't realized I had one to break.

The fear, the pain, the anger… all three rolling off her in waves. It was all that I could do to keep them separate from my feelings. It was so overwhelming at first. Never had I felt anything so strongly from her.

I wanted nothing more than to be in her bed with her. Be the one comforting her. I was finding that I was a bit jealous of Pam being able to do that with her, while I was shunned away.

The worst part of it all was hearing Sookie call for me in her sleep.

Had she called for my help when Bill took her? Death would be to good for that piece of shit. I would keep him alive. Torturing him every night for eternity. Death would be to easy.

"Eric, we should leave." I heard Pam say as she emerged from the small hallway that led to Sookie's room. "It's nearly dawn. Will you have time to take me home?"

"You will stay with me." I said as I rose from the couch. We walked to the door, and Pam and I left Sookie to rest for the day.

"The guards are in place?" she asked as we walked down the hallway towards the elevator that would take us to my car.

"Five. Two at both entrances to the building, and one at her door. Her friend, the witch, will be over in a few hours to ward the building."

Pam simply nodded as we got in my car, and I drove us both to my home. It was a silent trip. Once we were at my home, Pam and I made our way to my basement, where I slept for the day, and she would join me for the first time in decades.

"What did he do to her? Did she tell you?" I finally asked, once Pam was settled in bed. I was standing near my closet, across the room, changing into sleep pants.

"Bill merely took her. It was the Were's that damaged her." she said, and I raised my brow, gesturing her to continue. "One of the Were's attempted to rape her."

I put my fist through the wall. I may have roared.

It was the first time I remember frightening Pam in a century.

"But it was only an attempt. He was not successful?" I asked, seething.

"You can smell that she is still pure. But it was traumatizing for her. You will need to give her space."

I nodded, and joined Pam in my bed. Sleep would take us both soon.

"She smelled of Fae." I said as Pam moved next to me. I pulled her closer.

"She did. But she is not aware how she got back to her apartment. She believes that she passed out once the woman grabbed her. And that she only awoke in her apartment." Pam's voice was becoming lethargic. I kissed the top of her head, and felt her sleep. I followed soon after.

* * *

><p><strong>SPOV<strong>

The next two weeks drug by. I was a zombie, a ghost of my former self. I had tried everything to push the events of two weeks ago to the back of my mind, but no matter how hard I tried, the images were still there, haunting me during every waking hour, and every time I tried to sleep.

We left for New Orleans the night after my kidnapping. I was happy to be leaving Shreveport, and happy to get as far away from Bon Temps as I could. The more distance I put between me and that place, the better. I was trying to look at the move as a fresh start, but it was a lousy start thanks to my mood.

When we had gotten to the palace, I had hardly noticed. I rode up in a limo with Eric and Pam. Pam must have spoken to Eric, or I had completely scared him off, because after he left my room that night, when I had backed away from him, scared of him touching me in any way, he kept his distance except for once when he took over as the "King" of Louisiana. He wasn't upset with me, or angry with me, but he seemed hurt.

It was nothing though compared to how I felt.

Pam had stayed with me the rest of that night, and was over shortly after dark on the night that we left. She helped me to pack some clothing, and said that the movers would be there later and that the rest of my things would be in New Orleans the following day. She had been so kind. It was a completely different side to Pam that I didn't know was there. I thought of her as a friend, and I figured that she thought of me the same way before, or at least, as close to friendship that she could be with a human. But after that night, I think that she had surprised herself. She was almost mothering me in a way, and I let her, because she seemed to take some satisfaction in it. I wasn't sure if Eric had told her to or not, but I could tell that she wanted to either way.

The palace itself was huge. I was put up in a room in the west wing, and just as Pam had said, my things showed up the next morning. My room in the palace was nearly as big as my apartment had been. It had double doors as the entry, and expanded into a large bedroom. The bed in it was just as big as the bed that I had back in Shreveport, but it was raised much higher, and I needed to use a step to get in. It had an elaborate frame and headboard, and was a four post bed. It was an off white color with elaborate swirling carvings on the headboard which appeared to be inlayed with gold. There was a matching night stand on either side of the bed, and a matching dresser. The closet was walk-in, but twice the size of the one that I had back in Shreveport. It already had ball gowns in it, which I was sure that Pam had picked out for me, and probably fit perfectly. The room itself was a soft yellow and had white with gold trim around the ceiling and floor boards. There was three large windows that lined one of the walls, each with white drapery hung on them.

Then there was the attached private bathroom. Oh my stars. I had been impressed with the one back in my apartment, but that now paled in comparison. This bathroom was twice the size. It had a tub that could have been mistaken for a small pool, a separate shower build to fit five people comfortably, with as many shower heads at all different angels and levels. There was a full vanity, and the sink counter was as long as my kitchen counter had been back in Shreveport.

Then there was the maid service. I didn't have to do a darn thing myself if I didn't want to. There was a maid waiting to do whatever I needed, at almost any hour of the day. There was also a chef, and all I had to do was call on the phone system that ran through the palace and anything my heart desired would be brought up to me.

And I didn't enjoy any of it. I was in no mood to. I tried, but it was no use.

* * *

><p>The first night in New Orleans, Eric started his "reign" over the state. I was required to attend a meeting at the court there, to swear my fealty to Eric, along with the rest of the sheriffs and other vampires in the area, and the human staff that assisted the palace. I knew from what Eric had told me that he wasn't really the king, but for all intensive purposes, everyone had to pretend that he was.<p>

He sure did look the part however. He had dressed in a black suit that hugged his body perfectly. He had a red dress shirt paired with it, and a thin black tie. His hair had been tied back in a low pony tail, and tied with a black ribbon. Pam was dressed in a deep red suit jacket and pencil skirt. She had a back blouse underneath. I knew she preferred the lighter colors when she didn't have to wear her Fangtasia costumes, but I thought she looked nice in the darker colors.

I was dressed in a flowing red ball gown that had been in my closet when we had arrived. It was strapless and had a sweetheart neckline. The bodice on it fit snugly, and was encrusted with red beading and jewels, which I suspected at one point might actually be rubies. The skirt of the dress spread out around me, and was puffed out with layers and layers of tulle and taffeta. Pam brought me a necklace that was white gold or platinum, and had a single, albeit large ruby, cut in a teardrop shape hanging from the chain of the necklace. She had helped me put my hair up into intricate swirls, and let a few pieces cascade down to my shoulders.

I should have felt beautiful. I looked like a princess, minus the tiara. But I just felt exposed and dirty and I wanted to get back in bed and curl up in my flannel nightgown.

"It's only for a few hours. Then you can come back to bed." Pam told me, and I smiled as best I could. She did my makeup, which she kept simple. Mascara, eyeliner, and red lipstick.

When we got to the doors of the throne room, Pam gave me instructions to go stand next to Chow, and that when Area Five was called, I was to join the rest of the vampires from that area in front of Eric and follow their lead to swear my fealty.

Chow didn't seem pleased to have me near him, and the feeling was mutual. The room was large and rectangular. There was a red carpet running up the middle of the room, which led to a couple of steps that then led to a throne. After only being in the room a few minutes, everyone silenced when Pam emerged from behind the curtains that lined the back of the room, just behind the throne. Eric came out a moment later and took a seat.

He gave some speech about how this was their kingdom. How he would be a fair ruler, and would not stand for insubordination or something like that. Everyone nodded and some of the humans even clapped. And when he was done, Pam, who had been standing at his side, started to call up each area. When they would approach the base of the steps, a vampire, who I assumed was the sheriff of that area, would kneel in front of Eric, swear his fealty and life to the kingdom, and then the rest of the vampires in their group would take turn doing the same, and when they were done, any humans associated with that area would do the same.

When Pam got to Area Five, I followed Chow and the rest of the vampires from that Area up to the base of the steps. Just like the rest of the Area's, each vampire took their turn bowing to Eric and swearing their fealty to him. When it came to my turn, I bowed to him as well, swore my fealty, and then returned to the back of the group of vampires.

After each area and every vampire and human in the room had pledged their loyalty to Eric, we moved to a ball room where everyone celebrated. There were human donors spread throughout the room, which sort of grossed me out, but whatever. There were a few tables with food and drinks and palace staff serving the humans and vampires who wanted bottled blood instead of a donor. Not that I really saw any of them prefer the bottled blood, but it was there, just in case.

After about thirty minutes, Eric joined the party, which was in full swing. Pam had come in right after I did, and sought me out, keeping me company until then. When Eric entered the room, he made his way to me immediately. I didn't back away from him like I had the night before, but I flinched slightly when he reached for my hand.

"I'm sorry." I told him.

"Dance with me." he said. It wasn't a question. He led us to the dance floor, and whirled me around. He held me at a respectable distance as we waltzed, and I put on my best smile since we were now being watched by everyone in the room. "You dance divinely." he told me at one point, and my fake smile turned real for a moment.

"So do you." I said, meeting his eyes for the first time.

He smiled at me, and whirled us around a little more. It felt almost like we were floating, and after a few minutes, I felt like we were the only ones in the room.

It figures that's when I start to have a panic attack. It wasn't Eric's fault because he was being a perfect gentleman. But right there in the middle of the dance floor, in Eric's arms (sort of), flashes of my attacked blurred my vision.

The man pushing me to the ground.

Him reaching inside my jeans.

The sound of his belt buckle as he undid it.

"Sookie?" Eric whispered. The sound of his voice brought me back to the present. I hadn't even realized we had stopped dancing. I hadn't even realized that I had started to cry, but now I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Your majesty. May I please be excused?" I asked, surprised that I had remembered Pam telling me I must call him 'your majesty' in public places. Eric looked around the room, nodded to someone, and a second later, he was passing me off to Pam, who escorted me to my room. She helped me change back in to my nightgown. She tucked me in, and stayed for a little bit until I clamed down, and then had to go back to the party. But she promised she would come back when she could. And she did.

* * *

><p>"How did you get back to your apartment that night?" Eric asked as I sat with him in his study. He was going over paperwork. He had just finished interviewing a man who was looking to get the job of doing some construction work for the palace. I had been asked to sit in to make sure the guy was legit. He wasn't completely, and I made sure to tell Eric so.<p>

"I'm not sure. A woman took me I guess. She grabbed me and I blacked out. And the next thing I remember she was setting me down in my apartment." It was the first time Eric had asked me about what had happened. I guess he figured two weeks was long enough, and he wasn't going to wait for me to come to him about it anymore.

"You didn't know her?" he asked, looking up at me from his paperwork.

"No, but she knew me. At least, she knew my name."

"Have you seen her since?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"Nope. But I wish I could, so I could thank her." I wanted to add, "She showed up just in time." but really, I wished that she could have shown up earlier. "Have you found Bill yet?"

Eric growled. "No." Oops, sore subject.

"Can I go now?" I asked, glancing over at the door. I turned my head back to Eric's desk, but he wasn't there anymore. Instead, he was at my side on the couch.

"I miss you." he said, and took my hand. I lowered my eyes to watch him caressing his thumb over the top of my hand.

"I'm not ready." I said, and he stood, pulling me up with him. We headed to the balcony that was attached to his study, and Eric threw the doors open, and pulled me outside with him. "Where are we going?" I asked, just as he lifted me into his arms, and we took off into the sky. I let out a shriek and put my head into his chest to shield my view.

"Jesus Eric." I mumbled into his chest, and I heard him laugh. We weren't in the air to long before we landed in a clearing just outside the city from what I could tell. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that." I said, and playfully smacked his chest when he set me down.

"I needed to speak with you in private."

"Couldn't we have just done that somewhere in the palace?"

"My dear Sookie, there is no where private in the palace." he chuckled. I looked up at him questioningly. "We have not had the chance to find all the bugs yet. Once that is complete, there will be some secure locations. But until then, we will come here if we need to speak."

"I think you're just trying to find an excuse to scare the crap out of me."

Eric seemed to be considering that for a moment. He took my hand and we started to walk towards the tree line. "You did not recognize her?" he asked.

I shook my head that I didn't. "Why do you want to know?"

"Have you seen her since?" He ignored my question.

"No." I stopped walking, which brought Eric to a halt. "Why do you seem so interested?" He had a look on his face like he had an idea of who she was. "Do you know her?"

"Not her specifically, but I know of her kind."

"Her kind?"

"Yes. But now the question is, why did she help you? It's uncommon for their kind to interfere like that, unless of course it's for their family."

"What do you mean by 'her kind'? What kind is she?"

"I cannot be sure, but there is only one way to find out." Eric said, and looked down at me. And he had a mischievous grin on his face. He was up to something, and I had a feeling I was going to hate it. "I have an experiment I would like to try."

"Oh no. No no no." I said, waiving my hands and backing away. "You need to explain first."

Eric was laughing from where he stood, watching me back away. "Your apartment reeked of Fairy when Pam and I arrived. I suspect that is what this woman was. Fairy would not normally worry about one single human. But she cared about rescuing you. And she knew your name…" Eric trailed off, looking like he was in deep thought again.

I on the other hand, had a look of utter shock on my face. "A Fairy?"

"Yes. A very vicious race. Nearly wiped off this plane. They mostly reside in their realm now, but some still come here." He examined my slack jawed expression and smiled. "You didn't think that once you found out vampires were real, that nothing else from fairy tails and stories were true?" Well, he had a point. I just shrugged my shoulders.

"So why would she help me then?" I asked, scrunching my face.

"That is what I would like to find out."

"How?" He was back to looking mischievous, and I was back to looking worried.

"If she comes to help you when you are in danger, perhaps she would do it again?"

"You want to put me in danger?" shock radiating through my voice.

"Never. But, I have an idea." He took a step closer to me. "You would not actually be in danger."

"Just tell me."

"We will go up," he said, motioning towards the sky with his finger, "and I will drop you."

I doubled over with laughter, at least, until Eric started to walk over to me. Then I straightened up, and backed away from him as fast as I could. "You're nuts! What if she doesn't come! I'll die!"

"I will catch you long before you hit the ground."

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm letting you do this!" I was turning away from him now, and I was really starting to get scared. Seriously scared of Eric.

"You think that I would risk your life?" he laughed. I shivered. "You will be fine. I don't see any other way of making her come back."

"I'll scream. I'll quit if you make me do this." I was starting to cry. Running from a male figure was bring back to many recent painful memories.

Eric though, finally used his vampire speed to catch up to me, and took me in his arms. He pulled my head to his chest and started to rub his hand up and down my back, shushing me, trying to calm me down. "Sookie, it's okay, I won't make you." He kissed the top of my head.

I beat against his chest. "You scared the hell out of me. You bastard!" I was still sobbing.

"I did not mean to frighten you this much. And I would never do what I said."

I looked up at Eric. "You were trying to scare me with the threat of dropping me. To see if she'd come again."

"Yes. But she didn't. It's alright. We can go back now if you wish."

I pushed myself away from him, and he let me go. "I do wish, but if you think I'm letting you fly me back, you're out of your mind." I started to walk off in the direction of the city. I didn't care if it took me all night, I was walking back. I heard Eric laughing, and then he was at my side. He took my hand again, and we walked back to the palace in silence.

Being the gentleman that he was, (yeah, right) Eric walked me all the way to my bedroom door.

"May I come in?" he asked, bringing my hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss.

I exhaled and thought about what I would have said prior to the incident of two weeks ago. Then, I would have been pulling him in with me. He wouldn't have even asked, he would have just followed me. But now, he knew that he had to ask. And I wasn't sure that I was ready to share my bed with him again.

But I took a chance.

"Sure." I said, and Eric followed me into my room. I went to my dresser and pulled out a clean flannel nightgown and went to the bathroom to change. When I emerged, Eric was standing at the side of my bed, and I walked around to the other side, using the step that was there to climb in and under the covers. Eric just stood there though for a moment before climbing in as well. He kept his jeans and shirt on, which was good, because I was tense at the thought of him taking off any clothing, and I was sure that he sensed it.

Eric was good and stayed on the opposite side of the bed as me, which suited me just fine. We laid there for a while, not saying anything. We just watched each other at first, and then his hand reached out across the bed and I reached mine out until they found each other, and we stayed like that for a while.

* * *

><p>"Good morning Miss Stackhouse." Marilyn greeted me as she came into my room the next morning, coffee and breakfast on a tray, which she placed at the foot of my bed. I stretched and looked at the bedside clock. Not exactly morning anymore. It was two in the afternoon. But I guess since I just work up, it was morning for me.<p>

"Good morning Marilyn." I greeted her with a smile. She smiled back.

"You have a beautiful smile Miss Stackhouse. I'm glad that I finally got a chance to see it."

"Oh stop. And please, for the millionth time, call me Sookie." It felt weird to have the servants call me "Miss Stackhouse". And if she insisted I called her Marilyn, she was just going to have to call me Sookie.

"Yes ma'am." she said, and I rolled my eyes. I sat up the rest of the way in bed, and she brought the tray of breakfast to me. "You look well this morning."

"I'm feeling a lot better than I was." I took a sip of the coffee and sighed as the warmth and caffeine made its way through me.

"I'm glad to hear that." She went over to the windows and pulled the curtains back. "It's a beautiful day today. Would you like to go for a walk or out into the city at all since you're feeling better?"

"Not today, but maybe tomorrow?"

"I'll arrange a car to take you out tomorrow." She made her way back to the foot of my bed. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

I shook my head that there wasn't, and she gave me one last smile before she left my room. I dug in to my breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit. It was the first time that I felt like eating this well in two weeks. I guess I had my appetite back.

After I ate I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. I took a quick shower and fixed myself for the day. I got dressed in jeans and a tank top, slipped on some flats, and headed out to find something to do.

When I got down stairs, I decided that I did want to go outside. I made my way towards the French glass doors that lead to the yard and pool area at the back of the palace. I circled the garden a few times before I settled at sitting pool side. I kicked off my flats and rolled up my jeans before dipping my feet in the pool. I leaned back and supported my weight with my arms, letting my head fall back and closing my eyes, letting my body bask in the sun. It wasn't a warm day, but the sun was out, and I let it slowly warm my body. It felt so relaxing and wonderful.

I thought about what Eric had talked about with me last night. How he had scared the crud out of me. How I had believed for even a second that he would even do what he had said he would.

I was pissed at him still over it. I never thought before that he would have really brought me up in the air and drop me, but there had been something about the look in his eyes last night that made me second guess that. I had also been pretty pissed that after what I had been though, he had purposely tried to scare me like that. Well, he didn't exactly try, he succeeded.

Yet I still let him come in to my bed with me.

Because if I really truly thought about it, I knew he was being truthful when he said he would never really hurt me. And I was just as curious as he was to find out who the woman was that had rescued me that day.

He just had a lousy way of going about finding out who she was.

Thinking about who that woman had been got me to thinking again about that day. Which I really didn't want to do.

"Stop it Sookie." I told myself, and started to think about the sun beating down on me again. Focusing on it's warmth. There, that was better.

But now that I was out of my own head, I realized that there was someone near me. Two women actually. I reached out with my mind, and found it was two of the staff, on a break and hanging out by the pool house.

I know it's bad, and I shouldn't have, but I eaves dropped in on their conversation. From the position they were in, they hadn't noticed me sitting out by the edge of the pool. One of them was smoking, and the other was just standing there listening to the smoker talk about the night she had last night with her boyfriend.

"and I told him, I'm through with you Peter. I've been cheated on before, and I'm not letting that happen again."

"Did he leave?" the non-smoker asked.

"Of course not. He stood there telling me that he couldn't help his nature. He was vampire and all that shit, and this was what they did. I told him that wasn't true. Just look at you and John. John's so good to you Kathy. I just don't understand why Peter can't be like that." the smoker said.

"It hasn't been without it's trials. But I know the right guys out there for you Patty." the non-smoker, Kathy said. "What did you end up doing?"

"I rescinded his invitation! The look on that fuckers face as he stumbled backwards out of my house was priceless." Patty, the smoker, said, and took another drag of her cigarette.

"Well, if he bothers you, make sure you report it okay? I hear the King won't tolerate that sort of thing." Kathy said. Both women hugged, and Patty put out her smoke before they left.

Rescinded his invitation? He stumbled backwards out of her home? What was she talking about? I stood up, grabbed my shoes, and headed back to the house in search of Marilyn.

I found her in the kitchen. "What's it mean when you rescind a vampires invitation?" I asked her without a hello or any type of greeting or warning at all.

Marilyn looked up at me and laughed a little. "Well, you know that they can't enter your home unless invited, right?" she said, and I nodded that I knew what she was talking about. "Well, if you don't want them in there anymore, you take that invitation away. You rescind it."

"And they have to leave?" I asked, keeping my voice level. She nodded. "Thank you Marilyn."

* * *

><p>I waited in his office for him to rise. I was so angry with him. It was all I could do to sit still, and even then, I really wasn't sitting very still.<p>

And then I heard the door open, and he was standing there, clad in jeans and a Doors shirt. He smiled when he saw me rise off the couch and head in his direction. He held out a hand to me, and his smile turned to puzzlement as he felt the anger in me, and saw the look on my face, my posture, the way that I was practically stomping over to him.

"Sookie?" he asked as I stopped in front of him.

I wanted to hit him. I wanted to slap that concerned look right off his face. I had planned on it, which scared me a little because I wasn't really a violent person. And turns out in the end, that was right, I wasn't violent. I didn't slap him. Instead I just broke down. I dropped to my knees in front of him and caught myself with my hands before I face planted into the floor. I was very nearly hyperventilating I was sobbing so hard. I hadn't really even noticed that Eric had dropped to my side, arms wrapping around me. I was brought out of my sobbing/hyperventilating/panic attack when I realized he was practically screaming my name at me, and calling for Pam.

"I could have stopped him." I breathed. I knew he could hear me, even though it was hardly a whisper when it came out.

"Stopped him?" Eric asked as Pam came through his office door.

I turned my head to the side and glared at Eric through the tears. "I could have stopped Bill. I could have rescinded his invitation." I said through tear clouded eyes. I realized I was seeing red while looking at Eric. I looked up to Pam and was seeing the same. I took a deep breath and leaned back on my knees, and then got up on my feet. "I trusted you," I said, looking back to Eric. "and you," now looking to Pam, "to keep me safe. You said you would. And you both knew he had been in my apartment. You both knew that he wanted to take me to Mississippi. You should have told me how I could protect myself in my own home."

"Sookie," Eric started, but I didn't give him a chance to finish because I walked right past him and Pam, out of his office, and up to my room.

About thirty minutes later there was a knock at my door. I reached out and found it was a vampire. "Go away." I said. I was laying in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I didn't know what to do. I was torn. Part of me blamed them for the information they had kept from me. It probably should have crossed their minds that Bill perhaps would do something like this. Neither of them seemed to like or trust him at all. They should have been prepared for all possibilities. They seemed to always be prepared for every other situation. Why hadn't they been prepared for this?

Look what it had cost me.

"Sookie." I heard Pam say through the door. I rolled my eyes. "I'm coming in." she said, and I heard the knob turn, and lifted my head slightly to watch her walk in.

"I want to be alone right now." I told her as she crossed the room to my bed, taking a seat at the foot of it.

"Eric would like to see you in his office." she said and I snorted a sarcastic laugh. I looked at Pam and saw her roll her eyes. "I understand you are upset…"

"Understatement of the year." I told her.

"He wishes to apologize to you." she said like it was something foreign to both of them.

"He wants to smooth things over so he doesn't lose his precious telepath."

"Perhaps." she said, and stood, moving to the side of the bed and sitting next to me. She reached out a hand and grabbed mine. "But you should hear him out."

* * *

><p>"Come." I heard Eric say from behind his office door when I knocked. I had taken nearly an hour to calm down enough that I would consider listening to Eric. I entered his office and saw him sitting behind his desk. I took a seat on the opposite side. Eric just sat there staring at me, and I stared right back. He looked all business. Not like someone who wanted to apologize. "I will let you out of your contract."<p>

I felt my heart skip a beat.

"You may keep the apartment. Your rent will be covered until you can find suitable employment. Since I own the building, we can negotiate the monthly rent after that. I will also make sure that any of your other needs are taken care of during that time as well."

I didn't say anything. I just stood back up and started to walk to the door. Some apology. I stopped just as I reached the door and turned to him. I opened my mouth a few times, wanting to tell him I was packing my things, tell him that he was lousy at apologizing, wanting to tell him that I wouldn't be leaving… I could forgive him, but nothing came out. Instead I just dropped my head and left his office. Tears streaming down my face all the way back to my room.


	11. The Downward Spiral

**So here's a brand new chapter 11. I went in a completely different direction than it had previously been going. **

**Just a word of warning... this gets dark. Very dark... but it's not the end of the story.**

**It picks up a little over three months after the updated chapter 10.**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies.**

* * *

><p><strong>MIDDLE OF THE THIRD MONTH<strong>

I had been back in Shreveport three whole months. Since the night that Eric let me go, I hadn't spoken with him. Not for lack of trying, but he just didn't want to talk to me. I wasn't sure really what it was that I had done to deserve the silent treatment, but that's what I was getting. At least I got to talk to Pam every now and then, when I would try to contact Eric, and she would intercept the call.

"Can we drive down there?" I asked Amelia as we sunbathed. It was an unusually warm day for winter, and we took the opportunity to get some rays.

"Sookie, are you sure that's what you want to do?" she asked, turning her head to face mine, bringing her hand up to block the sun from her eyes. "He hasn't talked to you. I just don't want you to get hurt any more…"

"I need to see him. I want to apologize."

"For what?" she asked, sitting up straight on the lounger. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I was so mean to him…"

"And he kept important information from you. Information that… Look, I just don't see why you need to say you're sorry. You've extended the olive branch, and he's not biting. You've still got your job and this amazing apartment. Just let it be." Amelia laid back down.

Regardless of how she felt, I still felt like I should apologize. I didn't like upsetting him, even though I wasn't completely sure what I had done wrong. Sure, I had been furious with him that night. I had blamed him and Pam for my attack. I didn't understand why they wouldn't have thought ahead, told me information for my protection. I had every right to be upset. But I was willing to forgive, because that's what I thought my Gran would have wanted. It's what I wanted. I didn't want to push Eric or Pam out of my life. I was sure that had they thought what had happened was a possibility, they would have warned me.

I wanted them back in my life. They were all I had aside from Amelia. I thought of Eric as my best friend even. I didn't have many friends to begin with. But I had wanted more from him. Heck, I still did. We had been great together in the short time that we had, and I didn't want to give that up.

I mean, I wasn't willing to just put what had happened aside out of desperation. I was mad at them. But like I said, I was willing to forgive, and work past it. But I hadn't been given the chance.

Amelia however was on the firm belief that I had every right to blame them, in part, for what had happened. They had said they would keep me safe, and they had failed, miserably, as she put it. I asked her once why she didn't tell me about that little rescind trick, but she had just figured that Eric or Pam had explained it, and it never came up in conversation. Plus, she had added that she hadn't promised to keep me safe.

But regardless of what she said, and what had happened, once I wasn't upset about it anymore, which was fairly quickly, I wanted that life back. I wanted to be around Eric. I missed him terribly. I hated the guards that he kept around me after I insisted that to Pam that I wanted to stay on at Fangtasia if I couldn't stay on at the palace.

"If you won't take me, I'll go alone." I said in a huff, and got up out of my lounger, heading for the door to lead me back down to my apartment. Amelia didn't follow, she just watched as I left, and I kept my walls up, because I was sure whatever she was thinking, I didn't want to hear it.

* * *

><p>"Miss Stackhouse here to see his majesty." I said into the little stainless steel box outside the front gate of the palace. I was standing there, dressed in far to few layers for this time of year. I wished I had thought to put on a long sleeve, but I had been in such a rush after I left Amelia on my roof, I was surprised my socks matched.<p>

There was no verbal response to my request. Just a few moments of waiting, and then a buzz, letting me know the gate was open. I went through and stopped at the guard booth so that I could be patted down. I flinched as the man ran his hands along my clothing, checking for anything that wasn't allowed in the palace. I willed myself not to have a panic attack.

He approved me, and sent me on further down the walkway, where a butler greeted me at the front door. "Miss Stackhouse." he smiled. I didn't remember his name, but I smiled back and he showed me in, then asked that I wait in the parlor.

I took a seat and waited. And waited. And waited some more. I checked the clock on the wall. I had been sitting there for nearly an hour. I leaned forward in my seat, looking out the door to the parlor, and down the entryway. There wasn't anyone in sight.

I got up, and crept out, and towards Eric's office. When I reached his door without being spotted, I knocked lightly.

"Come." I heard him say on the other side, and I slowly pushed the doors open.

Now, I don't know what I was expecting his reaction to be. I had wished that when he saw me there I would see happiness in his eyes. He would stand up from the other side of his desk, rush over to me, lift me up off the ground, lay the mother of all kisses on me, and then ask me to come back to the palace to work.

Instead, I only saw rage. He practically growled when he saw me, and bared his fangs. He didn't say anything as he rose from behind his desk and stormed over to me. He didn't even say anything when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of his office.

I pleaded with him to wait, to stop, to let me speak. To tell me why he hated me so suddenly. What could I do to make it better, because I was willing to do almost anything.

"You shouldn't be here." was all he said as he brought me to the front door. He looked to the butler. "She is not allowed back on the premises." he said, releasing my wrist. I hadn't realized how much he was practically dragging me, so when he released me I lost my balance and fell to my knees. "Tell the guards." he yelled back to the butler as he walked back to his office.

I cried the whole way back home on the bus.

* * *

><p>"Sookie I'm sorry." Amelia sighed as she gave me a hug. She was letting me stay at her place that night because I just couldn't bare to sleep in my bed. To many memories.<p>

She led us into the kitchen and took out two glasses and a bottle of Jack Daniels. "Oh I don't think so Amelia." I told her hesitantly as she poured us both a shot.

"It'll make you feel better." she said, smiling. "Besides, I'm all out of ice cream."

She was right. After the fourth shot, I did feel better. I felt numb.

Numb was good.

* * *

><p><strong>END OF THE FIFTH MONTH<strong>

"Evening Alcide." I sighed as I got in Alcide's truck. He was my main guard. He watched me on the nights that I worked at Fangtasia. He was a werewolf, and Chow hated that he sat with me every night at the bar. He thought he stunk the place up. Fangtasia wasn't a place that Were's normally visited I had learned. They didn't get along to well with vampires.

"Are you drunk?" he asked once I shut the door to his truck.

I didn't even bother to look at him. "What's it to you?"

"It's just… this is the third night this week you're going in like that. Won't the boss man be upset?"

"As long as I can still do my job, which I can, I don't see how it's any of their business." And it wasn't. I was hired to sit and listen in on the patrons of Fangtasia. So what if I had a little to drink before work. I could still hear them just as well. Heck, it seemed like I could hear them better. So as far as I was concerned, this wasn't a big deal. They should be happy that I'm performing better.

Alcide just shrugged. He was slowly learning over the last month not to ask questions when it came to my life outside work. He was learning slower than I liked, because I seemed to have to remind him on almost a nightly basis that my personal life was my own, but at least he was learning.

"Just drive." I told him, and he shrugged as he put the car into drive, and we headed towards Fangtasia.

* * *

><p>"Sookie! You home?" I heard Amelia call. "Jesus Christ." she whispered once she flipped on a light. "Sookie?"<p>

I didn't even bother to answer. I was to tired. She'd find me once she came into the living room. I had been laying on the couch for… three days?

"Sook?" I heard, and it wasn't Amelia. I felt my chest tighten, and I sat up slowly. Shit.

"Hey Jase." I said, wondering what the hell my brother was doing at my apartment, with Amelia. Did he completely forget how our one and only meeting since I had gotten out of the hospital went?

Jason and Amelia exchanged glances after taking in my apartment.

"Christ Sookie." Amelia said, picking up an empty bottle of… something, I couldn't tell what, from the floor and placing it in the sink. "It reeks in here." Was she going to avoid the fact that she had my brother with her? Were we all?

I got up off the couch, vaguely aware that I was in my pajama pants and a Pepe Le Pew shirt with a robe. The same thing that I had been wearing since I had gotten home from work that Sunday night. I still had Monday through Wednesdays off.

"Have you even eaten?" Amelia asked. Jason was just standing there by my kitchen table, taking in my surroundings. He was scared to look at me. I realized I had my walls down and fought to put them back in place.

"Yeah, of course I have." I scoffed.

"I mean food. Looks like you've been on a liquid diet."

"Yeah, I've eaten." I said a little sourly back to her. I made my way over to Jason, and watched as he finally took in the sight of me. I must have seemed off balance, it was probably the lack of sleep, because he reached out as if to catch me. "I'm fine." I said, swatting his hands away.

"You don't look fine sis." he whispered.

I rolled my eyes. I got enough of this from Amelia and Alcide. I didn't need it from Jason too. I didn't want our second meeting to go as terrible as our first had.

"What brings you here?" I finally asked him. "I didn't think I'd see you again." I tried to smile at him, to make light of the situation that had been our failed first meeting since I left the hospital.

"Amelia called me. She told me you needed help."

I looked over to Amelia, annoyed, and then back to Jason. "Well I'm fine." I said, and I saw both Jason and Amelia frown at that.

* * *

><p><strong>BEGINNING OF THE EIGHTH MONTH<strong>

"Sookie, I'm coming in." I heard Jason sticking his key in my front door, letting himself in like he did each week. I didn't care enough to get out of bed. If I just faked like I was asleep, maybe he'd leave.

He came over once a week to clean up after me, which I hated. I was an adult. I could clean up after myself.

I heard bottles clanking, and then the sound of my cupboards being opened and closed. Shit.

"Jase!" I yelled. He'd gotten in the habit of pouring out anything I hadn't drank yet. I had gotten in the habit of hiding bottled, when I remembered. I rolled myself out of bed, nearly falling on my butt because I misjudged the distance between me and the edge of the bed. I stumbled towards the kitchen, catching him as he poured out what I knew had been nearly a full bottle of something. I couldn't tell what it was from the hall way. "Stop it!" I yelled as I approached him. I noticed he had been pouring out my nearly full bottle of Patron. That stuff was expensive.

Jason lifted his elbow and turned his back towards me to block me from reaching around him and grabbing the bottle. "Sook it's for your own good." he said.

"Fuck you!" I screamed. "What gives you the right to come in here and do this! I swear to God I'll call the police!"

"And tell them what Sookie?" he said as he smashed the bottle in the sink, sending little shards of glass flying. "Who's side do you honestly think they're gonna take? You're drunk! You are a drunk! Have you seen your apartment recently? Have you smelled yourself? Jesus, when was the last time you bathed?"

_I failed her. I wish I could fix this. What the hell is wrong with me. I need to call the hospital. Or rehab. She needs to help. I love her, but I can't do this anymore. I need to know how to fix this. I need to make this better. God forgive me for being a bad brother._

"Don't you dare call the hospital." I seethed at him. "I'll die before I go back."

The realization that I had heard what he thought sent a wave of grief across his face. "You need help Sookie." he said, reaching out to me, pulling me to him. I tried to pull away, but he had me held tight. "Can't you see what you're doing? I love you sis. I can't watch you do this anymore."

"Then don't." I hissed through my teeth.

Jason released me, looking at me with such hurt in his eyes. Then he set my apartment key down on the table, and walked out.

* * *

><p><strong>END OF THE EIGHTH MONTH<strong>

_God I wish I knew how to help her._

It was one of those rare times that I got a full thought from Alcide's mind. The thought was nothing new however. It was usually about fixing me, or loving me, or wanting to be with me. Whatever. As long as he didn't act on it.

"Chow wants you." Alcide said, and it took me a minute to realize he had said it out loud. I wasn't sure how he knew Chow wanted to see me, but I didn't question him. No reason to lie about that.

I scooted myself out of the booth, reaching my hand out to the table to keep my balance before I started my walk towards the hall and down to the office that used to be Eric's, but Chow now occupied. I knocked once, and waited for Chow to tell me to answer.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked, leaning against the file cabinet that was just inside the door.

"If you want alcohol, from now you must pay for your drinks." he said, never looking up from the computer. He rarely looked at me, so that was nothing new. I sighed, not feeling like fighting him on the drinks decision. It would be no use anyway, and I made enough money to cover what I drank if I needed to. It wasn't really that much at work anyway.

"Fine with me." I smiled. "Is that all?"

"No." he said, and for the first time that I could remember, he looked up at me. "You are to report for work sober from now on. You are also limited to three drinks per night. Clancy and the other bartenders have been made aware. I will not dictate how you live your personal life, however while you are here, you are my employee, and I will dictate how my employee's present themselves while on duty. You may leave now." he set his gaze back to the computer monitor. I was so angry I could have spit. But I knew fighting it was no use.

"Fine with me." I said again as I left the office.

I marched back out to the booth and sat down opposite of Alcide. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Something about showing up sober, limiting my drinks here at work. Whatever." I said, looking out over the crowd. Listening for anything suspicious. Wanting to take my anger out on whomever I could by getting them thrown out.

_…wakeup call she needs. Maybe now…_

"Will you give it a rest!" I practically screamed at Alcide. He looked a little shocked. He knew I rarely got a clear thought from his head. Guess he wasn't expecting me to get one now.

He reached his hand across the table to try to take mine, but I pulled it away. "I care about you Sookie."

"Believe me, I know you do. I've heard it." I sighed. "It's not gonna happen."

"You're hung up on that vamp…"

"Eric." I corrected. "I'm not hung up on him." I said, keeping my eyes focused on the crowd. If I looked at Alcide, I was worried he would see the tears welling up in my eyes. If I looked at him, I was worried they would spill over. I didn't want him to see that. I wasn't weak.

But Alcide knew just what to say to get me upset. He knew bringing up Eric made me feel something other than numb. The alcohol kept me numb. I didn't think about Eric when I had alcohol. I didn't think about how wrong everything had gone. Unless someone brought it up.

"I could be good for you. I could be good to you. If you'd just give me a chance chere."

"I'm good all by myself." I told him.

* * *

><p><strong>END OF THE NINTH MONTH<strong>

I followed Alcide through the employee entrance to Fangtasia and as usual. What was unusual about tonight was that the door to Chow's office flung open as we walked by.

"Sookie." I heard a familiar voice. I turned to see Pam standing in the doorway. I started to hyperventilate. Was she here with Eric? I froze in my tracks, and Alcide stopped just in front of me, since he usually led the way.

"Hey Pam." I said. I wanted to be happier to see her, but I wanted to get to the floor so that I could get a drink. I had to have one. If Eric was in there, I needed just one. One to calm my nerves.

"I have something for you. Come." she said. She looked up at Alcide. "Without the Were." she smiled, and disappeared back into the office. I looked up at Alcide, who just shrugged, and then continued his path to my booth.

I took a couple of deep breaths before I took the two steps that put me in the doorway to Chow's office. I peered in, and found it was just Pam and Chow there. I let out a sigh of relief and disappointment.

"This is for you." Pam said, handing me a box. It was the shape of a shoebox, wrapped in pretty pink paper, with a white bow sitting on top.

"What's this for?" I asked, eyeing the mysterious box. It didn't feel like it had shoes in it.

"Just a little something for my favorite telepath." she smiled. I smiled back, and then as carefully as I could I tore the paper at its seams. I paused before I took the lid off of what was in fact a shoe box, a shoe box that used to contain what was probably a beautiful pair of shoes from Coach, and looked back up to Pam and smiled.

My smile however, faded once the lid was off. I dropped the box and lid to the ground and turned away from it's contents. "What the hell is that?" I screeched.

"You don't like it?" I heard Pam say, genuine disappointment in her voice.

"It's a hand Pam! Who's hand is that?" I was still looking away.

Pam was silent for a moment. "I tracked him down." she said dryly. The… dare I say… joy?… from earlier was completely gone now. She didn't have to elaborate either. I knew who she meant. I took a deep breath. I fought the tears welling in my eyes. I didn't want to cry in front of Chow or Pam. I turned around and took a quick glance at the hand, now half falling out of the box, and then looked up to Pam. "He fled after you escaped. He was fearful that Bill or Lorena or Russell would punish him for letting you get away." Pam paused to sigh unnecessarily. "But I found him fairly quickly. I've been taunting him for the last nine months. Letting him know he couldn't hide from me. When I finally revealed myself to him, he practically begged for death."

"Pam…"

"I don't expect a thank you. I know that is not you. Even drunk you." she said. It was so even toned except for the drunk part. That part, she practically spat at me.

"I fell like a weight has been lifted." I finally told her, and it was true. So many nightmares had been filled with him attacking me, over and over. That was the one thing the alcohol couldn't stop. The nightmares.

In my waking hours, I was fearful that I would run in to him, or he would catch up to me and get me somehow. I didn't have to worry about him anymore. I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

"I know." she told me.

"I don't have to keep it, do I?"

Pam chuckled. "No."

I wiped the few tears that had fallen from my cheek. "It's good to see you." I told her, and I was one hundred percent honest about that.

"I'm glad that I caught you sober." she suddenly snapped. "I hear that's rare these days."

The love and warmth that I was feeling over her visit quickly faded. "Yes, well, the nights still young." I said, and left the office without another word.

* * *

><p>I was savoring the little bit of drinking that I got to do at work. After Pam's visit earlier, I needed it. I was half way done with my second drink when Ginger came by.<p>

"Refill sweetie?" she asked, and I nodded.

As Ginger made her way back to the bar, Alcide decided to chime in. "Sookie, maybe tonight you could…"

"If you tell me to lay off I swear to God I'll scream." I told him.

Just then, I picked up on a stray thought, and searched the room for it. "Clancy." I said just above a whisper. Once I had his attention, I mouthed that there was a girl, brown hair, red pleather dress, selling "V" over by the DJ booth.

What a dumb ass. Selling "V" in a vampire bar. She deserved whatever was coming to her.

Clancy nodded and signaled for one of the vampires who's name I didn't really care to learn who worked behind the bar every now and then to come over to him. He pointed out the girl and I watched as she was taken out the front door.

"How can you just rat them out like that?" Alcide asked in a whisper. Ginger came over with my drink and sat it down, then walked away. I took the straw out, and downed half the drink before I answered.

"She's the idiot selling "V" in a vampire bar. Her own fault." Alcide just shook his head at my words. "If you don't like it, stop guarding me."

"You know I wont."

"And I have no idea why." I said, even though I did have an idea why. But no matter how much he wished it, I would never be his.

He must have a thing for broken girls.

"Dance with me?" I heard Alcide ask, snapping me out of my thoughts. He didn't give me time to respond. He stood and took my hand, pulling me out of the booth and to the dance floor.

Some random song was playing, and we weren't dancing to the beat at all. He held my left hand with his right, and his left hand snaked around my waist, pulling me to him. It reminded me of a waltz stance.

It got me thinking to when Bill used to ask me to dance, and how much I had wished it was Eric who would ask me.

Oh God, what had I done? Pam was going to tell Eric about what happened tonight for sure. She seemed to think that I had a drinking problem, and maybe I did, but that was my own business. But if she knew, that must mean that Eric knows. No wonder he doesn't ever talk to me. I can hardly stand being around me. How could he ever. He could be with anyone. Why did I ever think that he would chose me. I was broken when he found me. I was shattered into pieces now. No amount of superglue could fix the mess I had become.

I hadn't even noticed that we had been swaying in the same spot for quite some time. Alcide let go of my left hand and brought his up under my chin, raising my face, my tear swollen eyes to look at him.

"We could be great together." he told me.

"I'm broken." I whispered back.

"You're wonderful." he told me. "If you gave me a chance… it could be really special."

"You got a thing for drunk girls? You like fixing people? What happens once their fixed?"

Alcide rolled his eyes. "It's not like that…"

The song that was playing stopped and I heard last call. I released the loose hold I had on Alcide, and moved to back away. He let me go without hesitation. I heard last call, and that was the signal that I could leave. I took a deep breath and left the dance floor, Alcide following behind me.

Wordlessly I climbed in his truck and buckled up. Alcide just stared at me for a few moments and then started the truck and we drove off towards my apartment.

All's I wanted to do was get home and have a drink. I wasn't nearly numb enough to deal with everything that had happened tonight. I needed to be very very numb. I just had to keep it together until I got home, and then I could cry all I wanted, and drink all I wanted, and no one would be there to give me lip about it. And I would be numb, and everything would be okay.

"Sookie." I heard Alcide say, and I snapped out of whatever daze I was in and looked around to find us parked in the garage at my apartments.

"Sorry. Thanks for the ride. You staying or someone else taking over?" I asked as I unbuckled and reached for the door handle. But Alcide leaned over and stopped me. "What?" I turned and asked him.

He answered me, but not vocally. He took hold of my wrist and pulled me to him, and then leaned in and kissed me. It was full of passion and want and need on his end. It didn't feel malicious or terrible. His lips and body were warm, he was being fairly gentle, and I could practically feel the hope at me responding pouring off him.

And then I thought about the last time someone had pulled me to them, physically. Restrained me. Forced themselves on me. I started to push against Alcide's shoulders, but he didn't let up. I started to panic a little. I wasn't numb enough to deal with this. When I pushed on his shoulders, his grip on me tightened, and his kiss became more urgent.

I thought of the time that Bill had kissed me. How sloppy it was, and how much he had seemed to enjoy himself even thought I didn't respond. Well, that was this situation with Alcide. I pushed again and his grip on me tightened just a little more.

I tried to say stop against his lips, but he took me opening my lips to speak as a sign that I was responding, and I felt his tongue invade my mouth. He leaned into me a little further and I was practically leaning back against the door.

This needed to stop. I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks. I did the only thing that I could think of to get Alcide off me, since me not responding to his kiss and pushing against his shoulders wasn't working.

I bit his tongue. Hard.

He jumped back off me, and I could taste his blood in my mouth, and see it on his lips. "Bitch." he said, and then he backhanded me across my right cheek. My hands instantly flew up to cradle my face. "Get out." I heard him say, and felt him lean over me, opening the door to the truck. I turned to do as he asked, and I felt a shove at my back, and then the ground was hurdling towards me. I pulled my hands from my face in time to brace myself against hitting the ground.

I was laying there, holding myself up with my arms, and I turned to look back in the truck. I wanted to tell him I was calling the police, but I got scared that he'd just get out and attack me more. I wanted to tell him I was going to let Eric know about this, but he knew that Eric wouldn't talk to me. I did the only thing I could think to do that the moment. "Fucker!" I yelled, raising my foot and kicking the passenger door shut. Alcide took that as his sign and sped off.

He turned his truck around and stopped just next to me. His window was down and he leaned out it. "You ready to apologize?" he said.

What the? Apologize for what? "I swear to God I'll call Eric. I'll get to him somehow. He'll find out what you did, and your ass is dead." It was an empty threat, and even though I knew there were holes in it left and right, it was still the only thing aside from the police that I could think to threaten him with.

Alcide just laughed. "Even if you do get a hold of him, do you really think he's going to believe you? You're nothing but a drunk. Everyone at the bar knows it, your brother knows it, your little witch friend knows it. And Eric knows it. No one's going to believe you."

With that, Alcide sped off, leaving me alone on the ground in my parking garage.

I could hardly believe my luck. It was the first time in nine months that I was alone. Eric may not care to see me himself, or speak with me, or have anything to do with me himself, but the one thing that he did oversee was my guards. I was NEVER to be left alone according to Eric.

I picked myself up off the ground, and put my hand back at me cheek. I spit out some of the blood that I could still taste in my mouth and I just stood there in the parking garage. Aware that I was completely alone for the first time since I had been attacked.

I got in the elevator, and made a pit stop at my apartment. I searched through the cabinets looking for booze, and smiled when I found a half full bottle of Jack. I turned to leave and noticed a note on my fridge.

_Sook,_

_Worried about you. Call me._

_Jason_

I took his note off the fridge and crumpled it in a ball. I tossed it in the general direction of the trash can and headed to the door. "Worried about me." I scoffed.

I stopped and went back to the piece of paper, opening it back up from its crumpled state. I searched for a pen and wrote a quick note, and shoved it in my pocket.

I took a swig from the bottle before heading out the door, and up to the roof. I had been waiting months for this moment. Waiting to be alone, without a guard, and waiting for that moment when I knew was coming. I could feel it. When I wasn't having nightmares about my attacker, I was having dreams of this exact moment.

It was the right place, the right time, the right state of mind, if you could call it that.

I stood at the edge, empty bottle of Jack in my hand. I looked over at the street below. My building was twelve stories. It was a long way down.

I tossed he bottle and watched it fall to the ground, shattering once it hit the street, listening to the glass as it broke. There was a slight breeze. It blew my dress around me, my hair blowing behind me. It was probably cold, but I couldn't tell thanks to the warmth the alcohol brought me.

Tears were running down my cheeks again. I didn't know why I was crying. It could have been any number of things…

How crappy my life had turned out. How much I wish that I had never left that damn hospital. How much I missed Eric in my life. How much I missed everything before I had been kidnapped and attacked. How much I wished I had never agreed to that damn article.

I climbed on top of the railing that went around the edge of the roof. I wobbled a little in my drunken state, but focused on holding on and keeping myself as steady as I could.

I thanked Alcide for being so forward with me tonight. In finally doing what he had been thinking about doing for weeks. At least, he had been thinking about kissing me for weeks. The rest of it I had no idea was coming. Guess it was my own fault for biting his tongue.

But it finally gave me the chance to be alone. So for that, I thanked him.

Thinking of Alcide made me think about what he had said. Eric didn't think much of me anymore anyway. I believed it. I wasn't the same innocent girl he rescued from Brentwood Hospital. Nearly carefree, full of life and love. Happy to be living life.

I felt sorry for that naive girl. What a fool she had been.

I focused back down on the ground below me. Twelve stories below me.

I steadied both my feet on the railing and took a deep breath.

I leaned forward ever so slightly, letting myself lose what little balance I had left thanks to the Jack, and I was falling.


	12. Careful! She'll Shank You!

**Hey everyone. So, here's the next installment!**

**I know last time was depressing, sad, all that stuff.**

**But this chapter, it starts to get better.**

**It switches between Sookie and Eric POV.**

**Thank you for all your wonderful reviews and messages!**

**I had no clue that when I took down the old chapters that you wouldn't be able to comment again, so I wanted to let you know I appreciate those who took the time to send me a message if they weren't able to review and wanted to.**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies!**

* * *

><p><strong>SPOV<strong>

"…could have prevented…" I could hear a man's voice, but I couldn't place it. "…my way…" I heard them speak again. "…done playing your fucking games…" It was Eric.

Where the hell was I?

I kept my eyes shut. I focused for a moment, trying to figure out if this was hell, and I was being tortured with an angry Eric for all eternity for taking my own life. He sure sounded pissed.

But no, if this was hell, I could picture a lot worse to torture me.

So where the hell was I, and why was Eric here? He was yelling, so it had to be about me. I didn't blame him. After what I had just tried, and apparently failed at, I'd be mad at me too.

I realized I wasn't hearing his voice anymore, and I focused as best I could on my surroundings using my curse. Two humans, about fifty feet away, two vampires with them, and one signature I couldn't place. It was something new.

But wherever I was, I was alone. I hesitantly opened an eye, and then the other, slowly, and realized I was in my old room at the palace. The one I had occupied for about two weeks. I raised my head, which I was starting to realize was pounding, and took a look at my body. I was still in one piece, and I was in an old flannel nightgown, like I used to wear after I was attacked. I was on the bed, above the covers. I wiggled my toes and fingers, making sure I could still feel everything properly.

How the heck had I survived a twelve story fall?

I froze, focusing on the brain signatures, or lack of in the vampires case, and found that Jason and Amelia were here. What the hell were they doing in New Orleans? All five were still in the same spot. I sat up in bed, throwing my legs over the side, and stepping lightly on the floor. Eric, and Pam probably being the other vampire I was picking up, had excellent hearing. If I had any chance of getting out of here, I had to be quiet.

I didn't want them to see me like this. I didn't want Jason and Amelia to see me like this. What was I going to say to them? They were sure to know what I had tried, and failed, to do. I couldn't face any of them.

I needed a drink. I was far to sober to deal with this.

No, focus Sookie! Get out, then find a drink. If you get out, you can drink all you want.

I slowly lifted myself off the bed, not making a peep. I practically tip toed to the door of the bedroom, and peered out. Whomever had been in here last had left it most of the way open, so I didn't have to worry about opening it and making any noise. I looked down again at the flannel nightgown. I guess I would be wearing this on the streets of New Orleans. Oh well, it was New Orleans. I doubted I would stand out much.

I tip toed out of the room and peered down the stairs. The brains were all in a room down the hallway. It was a lounge room for Eric the last time I had stayed here. I didn't see anyone aside from the butler near the door. I wondered what my chances were of just walking past him and out the front door.

Someone had taken care of me since I had gotten to the palace. Thinking about it, I doubted that I would just be able to walk out of the palace. The butler probably knew to keep me in, and alert anyone if I tried to get out.

But I bet the kitchen staff didn't know that.

I carefully made my way down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible, but not looking like I was trying to sneak out of here either. When I got to the bottom, the butler spotted me from his position at the door and looked a bit worried. I smiled and waived to him, then motioned towards the kitchen, and put my hand on my stomach, hoping that he would get the idea that I was just getting something to eat.

He still looked a bit suspicious of me, but he didn't budge from his spot. He just watched as I made my way around the base of the stairs and back towards the kitchen.

Sure enough, no one paid any attention to me there. I was able to walk right in, taking a piece of something with crab in it sitting on the counter, and walk right out the employee door, bringing me just behind the maintenance shed for the pool. If I remembered right, it was only about a hundred yards or so to the back fence, and I could probably hop that. Then it was free and clear into the small woods that surrounded the palace, and then I could disappear into the city.

I could finish what I started.

I flexed my legs a bit, getting ready for the dash I was going to make across the lawn towards the fence. I took a deep breath and off I went. I figured I was about half way there when I heard a pop noise, and slammed my entire body into a woman. Both of us went tumbling backwards. "Shit!" I whisper-yelled.

"Where the heck do you think you're going Sookie!" the woman yelled.

"Shhhh! Damnit!" I whispered back. I sat up and the woman was doing the same. It was dark, but the moon was giving off enough light so that I could see her features. "I remember you!" I said louder than I mean to. "You saved me from that man…" I said, tears instantly welling up in my eyes.

There was one thing I wanted more than anything in life the last nine months, and that was to thank the woman who had saved me that day.

"Not to mention last night…" she said as she stood up, brushing off her jeans and straightening her blouse.

"Last night?" I asked. How long had I been asleep? The woman looked down at me once she was done fixing herself. I was just staring at her. My mind was conflicted. There were so many things I wanted to ask her, but I couldn't stop staring at her. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. I felt almost hypnotized looking at her.

The woman came over to me, offering me her hand. I realized that I couldn't really read her at all either, like vampires. Her mind was a mystery. I took hold of her hands and she pulled me up to my feet.

"What's your name?" I asked in a whisper, not completely forgetting that we were now standing in the middle of the open lawn. I didn't care if I got caught at this point. Talking to her was more important for the moment.

"I'm Claudine." she smiled. "Ready to go back in?" she asked.

"Oh no, I'm not going back in there." I shook my head, taking a step back from her. Her suggestion pushed getting out of here to the forefront of my current wish list. I took a few deep breaths and then I lunged at her, reaching my arms out, hugging her with every ounce of strength that I had. "Thank you for last year."

"And what about last night?" she giggled into my hair.

I didn't respond to that. I wasn't sure I was thankful that she saved me from falling. I was curious as hell to know how she did it. How she just seemed to appear in front of me now, and how she got me back to my apartment that day.

I let her go and sprinted towards the wall. But then I heard that popping noise again, and this time, she appeared far enough ahead of me that we didn't slam completely in to each other, but we hit, and when we did, she wrapped her arms around me, just like she had done that day, and I suddenly found myself back in the palace, standing in the middle of Eric's lounge room on the second floor, surrounded by Jason, Amelia, Pam, Eric, and an older man I had never seen before.

"Shit." I sighed, and I fainted.

* * *

><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

"I can take her back to my place, get her cleaned up, sober. I shoulda done it months ago." Sookie's brother said, shaking his head.

"She will stay here…" I commanded.

"Northman." Niall said, shaking his head.

"You have all failed at keeping her safe." I growled.

"You have failed her as well. Why should I believe you will keep my great-grandchild safe? You could not even protect her from Compton." Niall said in return, angering me further.

I slammed my fist against the wall. I roared at the group in front of me. "And you have all let her become suicidal!" Pam reached out to me but I pushed her away. "I hear that she has not been sober in nearly five months! She lives in filth! How is it that I can not be trusted with her and any one of you can?"

"She ain't your kin. It's not up to you where she stays." the brother said. He stood up straight and inhaled, letting his chest expand, making himself appear intimidating. Idiot.

"Then perhaps we should let her decide." Pam said.

"No. She won't chose to stay here after the way I treated her…" I said, keeping the disgust in my voice to a minimum. My Sookie wouldn't chose to stay here after the way I thrown her out. I could explain to her that I had no choice, that if it were up to me, she never would have left in the first place. But it was beyond my control, and for her own good, or so I thought at the time. But I did not think she would chose me.

"She will come back with me. It is the only way…" Niall started, but I hit the wall again.

"You will use her to breed your own kind." I seethed.

Niall opened his mouth to respond, but didn't get the chance. We all drew our attention to the center of the room as Claudine and Sookie appeared in front of us. Sookie was still in her flannel nightgown, and they both appeared to be out of breath.

"Shit." Sookie said, and then collapsed to the floor. Claudine dropped with her, trying to keep Sookie from hurting herself as she fell. In that moment, everyone in the room moved towards Sookie, but we all stopped when Claudine raised her hands.

"Stop right there." she commanded. I looked over to Pam, who was at this point more focused on Claudine rather than Sookie. Claudine couldn't mask her scent like Niall could. It was taking all my willpower to keep my focus on Sookie, although I did glance at Claudine far more often that I would care to admit. "While you all are in here arguing, she was attempting to escape. I found her on the back lawn." the female fairy said. She picked Sookie up, and I could see it was a struggle. I stepped forward to take Sookie from her, but Claudine turned from me. "I'm taking her back to her room." With that, she turned and left us.

We stood there silent for several minutes after she left.

"You cannot even keep her in this palace…" Niall started. I put my hand up to stop him.

"It will not happen again." I said, more even toned. I knew that he had the power to take her from here if he wanted. Arguing with him was not making the situation any better. "We can let her heal here. Once she is better, we can let her make her own decision." I suggested.

"I'll agree to that." the witch said, breaking the silence. The brother elbowed her and she elbowed him back. "There's guards here. She won't be able to slip out again," she said that part looking at me, "and she wont be able to get her hands on a drink. There's a nice big bed for her here, and people she knows. It might make it worse if she's somewhere unfamiliar. Or somewhere close to where she was kidnapped." she finished, looking down at the ground. Yes, Sookie's brothers home was in Bon Temps. To close to where Sookie had been attacked. She would hate that.

"Then it is settled." I said, not giving Niall the opportunity to object immediately. "Come back in a month, and she will make her own choice."

I waited for Niall to interject, however after a moment to mull my suggestion over, he seemed agreeable. "One month Northman." he said, and disappeared from the room.

"See you in a month." the witch said, and her and the brother made their way towards the office door. "We're just going to stop in and say goodbye." she said, and then they both continued out the door.

"She will chose you." Pam said once everyone was gone. She crossed the room and headed for the door herself. "She still cares for you." With that, Pam exited, and I was left alone. The room smelled heavily of fairy, and I was sure Sookie and her room smelled the same.

* * *

><p><strong>SPOV<strong>

I felt something cold on my forehead and moaned a bit. I shifted and lazily opened my eyes just enough to see Eric leaning over me. He smiled when he saw my eyes open.

I clamped my eyes shut again. I had to be dreaming. I had to be. There was no way that Eric was with me now, smiling at me.

"I know you are awake." he said in a hushed voice. I didn't answer him, and I kept my eyes shut. I didn't have to ignore him like that for long, because I was asleep again soon after.

* * *

><p>"Sookie, you must drink this." I heard a male voice. Eric's voice, I realized. I felt glass touching my lips. I opened my lips slightly expecting to take in and feel the warmth of the alcohol as it slid down my throat. Instead I tasted something metallic, yet slightly sweet. I opened my eyes just a bit, and once again saw Eric leaning over me. I realized he was giving me his blood.<p>

I also realized how much my body ached. I felt like I was freezing, but I could tell there were several layers of blankets on me. I could feel the weight of them. My whole body shook.

"Cold." I managed to say, but even speaking was painful.

"I know you are. Drink, and you will feel better soon. I promise." he whispered to me. I felt his hand brush across my forehead. I did as I was told and took another swallow, which was just as painful as talking. Eric's touch, while it soothed me mentally, hurt my skin. The weight of the blankets hurt. My whole body felt like it was cramping. My head was pounding.

I was going to vomit.

I rolled over to my side, hoping that I was leaning over the edge of the bed, and emptied what little I had in my stomach. I was frightened at first, because I saw blood, but realized that it was most likely the blood that Eric had just been giving me.

I was a little relieved when I noticed that I had indeed rolled to the correct side, and was throwing up on the floor, and not all over my bed. I felt Eric's hands gather my hair, and then I felt one of his hands hold it in place behind me, while the other began rubbing my back.

Once I was sure my stomach was empty, and the convulsing stopped, I started to roll back, and Eric stopped his movements, letting me relax back on to the bed. He put the glass he had back to my lips.

"No more." I said, trying to reach a hand out to push the glass away.

"You must." he told me, but I still pushed away. I felt as weak as a newborn kitten, but Eric was letting me keep him at bay. "You are experiencing alcohol withdrawal. This can be fatal. You must take my blood. It will help you."

I felt him press the glass back to my lips, and then I was out again.

* * *

><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

"Sookie, no one is after you!" I heard Pam yelling. I raced up to Sookie's room, leaving the meeting I was in abruptly. I found Pam backed against the wall near the door. I smiled briefly that Sookie had somehow managed to scared Pam. I looked to Sookie, who was standing on her bed, holding a piece of wood which was splintered at the end. I would have openly laughed at Pam if Sookie didn't indeed look absolutely terrifying in her stance, wielding the make shift stake.

"Stay away from me or I swear to GOD I'll kill you." Sookie seethed. This was not the first hallucination she had had due to her withdrawal, but it was certainly the most heated and volatile.

Pam turned to me. "She believes I am Compton." she said.

I turned back to the bed. "Sookie." I said in my most commanding voice. Her head snapped in my direction, and she raised the stake higher above her head. "Do you know me?" I asked her. She stared at me, eyes burning with hate which I hoped was for Compton, and I seemed to be right, because after a moment of staring, her eyes softened, and tears were welling in her eyes. She nodded after a moment. "That's good. Why don't you come down?" I was taking a softer approach. I could have gone to her, grabbed her and pulled her down off the bed. I could have yanked the stake from her hands, as could Pam. But with everything going on, it was the last thing that she needed.

I needed her to feel safe here. I needed her to want to chose to stay here when the month was up.

I needed to make things right with her.

At that realization, something in me changed, clicked into place, brought everything in to focus.

I cared about this girl. I knew I did already, or she would not be with me now, and I would not be caring for her as I was. I would not have let her go nearly a year ago had I not cared. But standing here now, trying to be gentle with her, something that I would not have had the patience for with any other female at any other point in my life, it hit me how much I truly cared for her.

I looked over to Pam, who must have felt the shift as well, because she was looking at me now, all attention for Sookie now focused on me. She smirked and then turned back to our house guest, who had come off the bed, and was standing at the foot of it, weapon at her side.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." she said, lowering her head, dropping the stake. Now that she had had some of my blood, I could feel her again. I was glad to have that feeling back, but regretting it at the same time. The things that she was feeling emotionally were throwing me off balance at times. They were feelings I was not accustomed to, and was having trouble adjusting to.

I slowly made my way to her, and once I was in front of her, she stepped away from me until she was backed against the foot of her bed.

"You don't have to be frightened of me Sookie. I won't hurt you. Neither will Pam." I could feel the fear pouring off her. She was fearful of what she had just done, and fearful that we would punish her for it. But it wasn't her fault. Dr Ludwig had warned us that there would be side effects like this from the alcohol withdrawal.

Sookie merely nodded and brought her hand to her eyes, wiping away a few tears.

* * *

><p><strong>SPOV<strong>

"Good evening Dear One." Eric said as he entered my room. I was sitting in a chair by the window, watching the stars fill the night sky. The sun had set and the last of it's light had faded ten minutes before and I knew that Eric would be by to check on me soon, just as he did every night when he rose.

"Hey." I smiled to him. He stood at my side and his fingers caressed my cheek, pushing a bit of hair back behind my ear.

"You seem well." He spoke softly and it was soothing. He was also right in that I did seem well. I felt better in a way than I had in quite some time, perhaps six months. I had my legs tucked against my chest, feet resting on the edge of the chair, arms wrapped around my legs to hold them in place. "Are you feeling better tonight?"

"Yes. Thank you." I let my hands lose and let my legs down to the floor. My feet tingled a little at the change in blood flow.

Eric took a seat in the chair that was across from mine. "I would still like you to take some of my blood tonight. Dr Ludwig says that it has cut your recovery time considerably, along with the symptoms, and I do not wish for them to return."

"That's fine." I smiled to him again. "Are you very busy tonight?" I asked. He shook his head and I smiled. "Would you be able to spend some time with me then?"

"Of course." he said, and I rose from my seat. I took his hand, and he stood as well, and I led him over to my bed. He froze and looked at me quizzically. "Sookie…"

"I've been up all day. I took a walk in the garden, I helped down in the kitchen for a bit, and then I helped Marilyn clean. I was bored out of my mind, and now that I've been so busy, I'm exhausted. Stay with me while I sleep? I mean, I don't expect you to just lay there…" and I didn't. I was going to tell him he could leave as soon as I fell asleep, but he put his hand up.

"I would love nothing more." He released my hand and I climbed into the massive bed, and Eric followed. I was already in my night clothes, having showered and changed from my long day. Eric had become quite casual with me over the last week and a half, and was in his sleep clothes. He wore a pair of silk sleep pants, and that was it.

Not that I minded at all. He was an Adonis. His muscles were chiseled and firm, yet his skin was soft and pale and flawless. If you had looked up beautiful in the dictionary, there should be a picture of him there.

We laid on our sides, facing each other. I wanted to say a million things to him. I opened my mouth to speak a few times, but nothing would come out.

So we laid there for an hour or so, just watching each other, lightly caressing each other. It was like we were both getting the contact with another being that we craved, and for me, it was with the one person that I wanted it from, needed it from, at that moment.

As I had struggled to say something earlier, and come up short, I could see on Eric's face that he was having that same internal struggle now.

He finally settled on what he wanted to say, and I could see a calmness, a resolve, set about him like he had done a few days before while I had been hallucinating right here in this very room. "I want you to stay." he said, and I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him I had already made my decision, but he put a finger up to cover my lips like he had done so many months before back in Shreveport when he had taken me on the late night picnic, where he told me about moving to New Orleans.

But after he put his finger at my lips, he didn't say anything else. It was like he was letting me digest what he had said, the gravity of it. He didn't want me to blurt out any rash decision or something. But like I said, my decision had been made. I smiled at him through his finger and he finally lowered it. I knew what he was saying I shouldn't take lightly. I found out all to much about Eric Northman when I worked with him, and then working at Fangtasia without him there.

I knew about his reputation, how he regarded humans for the most part. It wasn't unlike how most of the other vampires treated humans. So the fact that he was treating me like he did before everything happened, and like he was now, spoke volumes. The things that he said to me meant so much more because I knew that, unlike a person sometimes would, he wouldn't have said them just for the sake of saying them. He meant every word of them.

"Part of me still wishes that Claudine hadn't got to me in time." I said, very seriously. Now he opened his mouth to speak, but I put my finger to his lips like he had done to mine. "But an even bigger part of me is glad that she did. I'm still messed up Eric. I can't just be fixed overnight, or in a week." Had I ever thought this clearly before? Perhaps the alcohol washing itself out of my system brought some new sort of clarity to me. "You, your blood, they've helped a lot, and believe me when I say I appreciate it."

"I owed it to you at the very least." he said through my finger.

"You don't owe me anything." I said, and I didn't mean it in a cruel way. The fact was that he had done so much for me. So much. I was grateful for all of it even if I hadn't really shown that over the last six months or so. I told him as much.

"I wanted to give you the chance at a normal life." he whispered, and it was clear that he didn't care my finger was in front of his lips, because he was just going to talk if he felt like it. I brought my hand back to my chest, where the other was curled up.

"I can't have one though. I'm not normal."

"I can not give you the things that you want. The things that you should have."

"And what do you think it is that I want?" I asked, smiling at him. He was looking very serious, and I didn't want tonight to get so heavy.

"A husband. Children. These are things that I can not give to you."

"Who says that I want those things?" He could be so high handed sometimes. "Who says we can't have those things some day if that is what I end up wanting?" Yeah, I just said that, and the small smile that he developed took away some of the nerves over saying it. The change that I had felt in him over the last week, what I had suspected, seemed to be true. Which made me even more grateful for my decision.

We were silent again for a bit. He pulled me to him, and I let him hold me, rub my back, kiss the top of my head every now and then.

"I am truly sorry I ever let you leave this place." he finally said. His soothing gestures had nearly put me to sleep. I cuddled up to him a bit more, not sure what I had just heard.

"Hmm?"

"I thought it was what was best for you." he said, and I smiled once again at his high handedness. He opened his mouth to speak again, but this time, I put my whole hand over it to silence him in whatever he was going to say next. It didn't matter anymore. It was in the past. I had decided earlier that day I was about moving forward. I was going to try to make the best decisions to do that. I didn't need an explanation anymore. There was no changing it.

"Shhh. No more of that talk." I said, and he kissed my palm. "Can we just stay like this for the rest of the night? I'm not keeping you from anything?"

He merely shook his head and I removed my hand. For the first time in months I fell asleep feeling secure and cared for.

* * *

><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

I had gone to my daytime slumber feeling Sookie's contentment. Now, rising for the evening, I felt for her and could tell she was no longer in the palace. She felt far away.

I left my underground daytime chamber in search of my Sookie. I went to her room immediately in search of any clue as to where she would have gone, or why she would have left. Her actions the night before…

There was a note on her bedside table.

_Eric,_

_First of all, I want to thank you again for everything that you have done for me. You saved me from a life in a place I didn't belong, and made me feel for the first time in my life that I wasn't a freak, that I belonged somewhere._

_Even if things didn't turn out the way I had hoped they would this first year, I don't regret any of it._

_But the truth is, I need help. I'm not well. It wasn't right for me to think I could just step out of that hospital and acclimate into society in any way that was productive to myself or those around me._

_Maybe with time I would have adjusted. But after I was attacked, after I drowned my pain in alcohol, after I tried and failed to end my life, I realize that what I need is professional help._

_I've called Jason and Amelia, who are picking me up today and talking me to get the help that I need. Amelia will be warding the facility, and no one who means me harm will be able to enter, so please don't worry about me._

_Just wish me well, and trust that I will see you when the time is right. This is my chance to make sure I can live as close to normal as I can get._

_Sookie_

I was not mad, which surprised me. The anger in me had been growing the moment I woke up and realized that she was gone. But finding her letter had changed things.

I believed she would find me when the time was right. We would be together then. There would be nothing in our way then. I had lived a thousand years. I could wait for her return.

My only wish was that she would have let me be the one to take her.

* * *

><p>"You wouldn't have let her go as willingly as you would like to believe." Pam told me while discussing it with her later in my office. I had called my day man and left instruction with him to find where Sookie had gone. I at least wanted to know where she was, and that she was in a good facility. If she would be away from me, she would get the best care possible.<p>

"What will you do when Niall shows up in three weeks looking for her?" Pam asked.

"Nothing. He agreed to let her chose, and she has made her choice." I told her, reading over the note Sookie had left again.

Pam and I both turned our heads as there was a knock on the office door. "Come." I called.

An older woman entered. I recognized her as the handmaid to Sookie while she had stayed here. She bowed to me and then to Pam. She kept her gaze lowered as she spoke to me. "Master, I thought you might want this." She held out a slip of paper in her hands. It had clearly been crumpled and then folded back up again as neatly as possible. "We found it while packing Miss Stackhouse's belongings as instructed. It was tucked in the pocket of the clothes she wore the night she came back."

I stood, leaned over my desk, and took the note from the woman. "You are dismissed." I told her. She bowed once more to both Pam and myself, and then hurried out of my office.

I unfolded the paper. On one side the note read:

_Sook,_

_Worried about you. Call me._

_Jason_

I noticed writing on the other side, and turned the page over.

_Eric,_

_I love you. I'm sorry._

_Sookie_


	13. Fairies and Flat Tires

**Oh what is this? A new chapter?**

**:D**

**Anywho, thanks to those who reviewed or sent a message! Be assured that I do read every single one and they are appreciated.**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**Snoogans!**

* * *

><p><strong>SPOV<strong>

Rehab proved to be trying. I wanted to leave within my first hour there. I kept telling myself that I could do this on my own. I mean, after the first few days at the palace, I stopped asking for alcohol, and I hadn't tried to escape to get any. So I could do this.

But then I would remind myself that this was where I needed to be. This was where I could truly transition into society, regardless of how messed up that sounded. However it was true. Because wasn't that what people in here were trying to do anyway? Trying to ditch whatever habit it was they had picked up, trying to be normal? Live like everyone else supposedly did?

So what if I could kick the alcohol when I put my mind to it? I still had mental things to work through. And as I found out the longer I was there, and the more therapy I went to, I had a LOT of mental stuff to work through.

I also had a lot of things that I needed to discuss with Eric once I got out. Things that I had originally been complacent to just push aside in favor of keeping things good between us that last week that I spent at the palace. I had tried so hard to avoid any confrontation, I basically just let all the wrongs that he had done me slide.

Not that I was looking to pick a fight with him, turn the first time that I see him after the nine months that I spent in rehab and then the half-way house into an argument, but I felt like I was owed some sort of an explanation. Good or bad, I needed it. I needed to know what had been so wrong with me then that he would have treated me the way that he did when he sent me away from the palace after my attack, and then practically threw me out after I had come back to beg for his forgiveness in whatever it was I had done.

His actions however had done such a complete one eighty from before my attack to after and then again when I had tried to commit suicide. I was sure that there was a good explanation for it. I didn't think he was a bi-polar vampire.

So here I was, nine months clean and sober. Nine months building up my self esteem, fixing the damage that growing up in a mental hospital had done, and then being nearly raped, and I was ready to venture back into the real world.

I was scared out of my mind.

I heard a horn honk a couple of times as I stood outside the half-way house with my bag and I turned to see Jason driving up. He parked along the curb and was out of the car before I had a chance to prepare for the hug he gave me once he reached me. He nearly knocked me over. I hadn't seen him in those nine months, and I had only talked to him on the phone a hand full of times. The rehab facility had a strict "no visitors" policy for patients their first ninety days. I had decided that I would just stick to that once my ninety days was over. The less outside influence I had, the better. I needed to just focus on me.

I hadn't even realized I was crying until Jason pulled away from me and wiped a tear from my cheek. "It's good to see you baby sis." he smiled. "You look great."

"Thanks Jase." I said, and watched as he grabbed my bag, tossing it into the bed of his truck, and then opening the passenger door for me. "Everything ready for me?" I asked as he climbed in the driver seat and we headed off down towards the highway.

"Sure is. Amelia's waiting there for ya too. She's real excited to see ya." he said as we merged onto the highway.

We were headed to our grandmothers home. Jason had agreed, of his own free will, to truly sign the house over to me. I used every penny that I had saved from working for Eric to get the place fixed up and back in order. Jason had taken to overseeing it's completion for the day that I was able to come home, and had used Amelia to help him with the task. I was so excited to see the place. I was excited to live there.

I no longer let it frighten me like it had. However that was partly because Jason had told me a few months ago that someone had bought the old Compton place, which spurred me to get Gran's place fixed back up. Sure, I wasn't going to let Bon Temps frighten me, but I wasn't about to live next door to Bill Compton. Even if he hadn't been seen since he had kidnapped me, he still had the home to return to, and I just didn't want to be neighbors with him. I think that's understandable regardless of how much therapy I went through.

The drive to Bon Temps was filled with me telling Jason some of the stories from rehab and the half-way house, and him telling me about troubles they had run across in fixing up the place, but thankfully overcome in one way or another.

I was happy to hear though that the place looked amazing, practically new even though it was over a hundred years old, and looked like you could make a real nice life there.

"I know it's early for this and all, but I got a job interview lined up for you if you're interested. It's not set in stone, just whenever you're ready, but my buddy Sam owns a bar and grill and said he'd give ya a trial run if you're interested." Jason said as we turned on to Hummingbird Road.

I just smiled and patted his hand, but kept my eyes out the window for the first signs of the house. Jason turned down the gravel driveway, which he said they hadn't gotten re-graveled yet, but he was planning on it as soon as I was settled. It wasn't a priority like the house was, and since there had been a lot of work to do in the house, they hadn't gotten to the driveway yet.

We approached the house and I was all smiles. It was a beautiful shade of yellow, a soft but welcoming yellow, with white trim. All the windows looked new, the garden was impeccable, and so was the lawn. It looked like the porch swing had been repaired as well as the front door.

"Oh Jason…" I gasped as I stepped out of the truck once he had parked. "It looked wonderful." I smiled to him. He came over and gave me another hug, and then dug around into his pockets until he found the keys, and deposited them in my hand.

He nodded for me to go on ahead, and as I approached the front steps, Amelia came bounding out, down the stairs, and nearly knocked me over hugging me.

"Oh Sookie, it's so good to see you." she whispered. "I'm so sorry…" she started, but I shushed her. I didn't want to have this conversation now. It had to be had, but not now. Now was a happy moment, and I was going to enjoy it.

"Thank you for helping Jason." I told her as she released me.

"It was the least that I could do." she told me, taking my hand and leading me up to the front door. We walked in and I gasped.

While the outside looked new, the inside looked like it had when I was a child. It was the same old furniture that had been in our family for who knows how long, with the same old setup that Gran had had the place. Everything was clean and shiny of course, but it looked like home, and felt familiar. I felt comfortable the moment I had walked in.

I had budgeted for Jason and Amelia to get new furniture, figuring it would need it, but looking at the place now, I was glad that they hadn't.

Amelia led me around the house, excited as could be, and showed me each room. The kitchen still had most of the appliances that I remembered as a child, but she explained that some had to be replaced, like the refrigerator and the washer and dryer. The bathrooms all still had the original fixtures, and the bedrooms still all had the furniture from when I was a child, and who knew how long it had been there before that. Every room had a fresh coat of paint or wall paper, and the place was spotless.

We came back down from the second floor, which had been converted into Amelia's living quarters, and she led me into what had once been my Gran's room. Jason had dropped my bag off in there, and Amelia let me alone once she had me in there.

The bed frame, nightstands, and dresser there had been my Gran's, although Amelia told me they had replaced the mattress on the bed. It wasn't nearly as large as my bed in Shreveport or New Orleans had been, however it was more than enough room for me.

So here I was, alone for the first time in nine months. Sitting in my new room, in my new home, and my thoughts went right to Eric. I checked the clock, it was summer, so the sun set late. I wondered if he had been keeping tabs on me while I had been in the hospital. I was sure he had, although I never got any sign of it.

I wondered if he knew that I was coming home today. I wondered if he knew that I was moving to Bon Temps. I wondered if he was going to stop by. I wondered if he could still feel me even though I hadn't had his blood since the night before I left the palace.

I emerged from my room, and found Amelia and Jason standing in the kitchen. "Hey guys, I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in a bit." I wasn't going to wait for their permission. I didn't need it. But it seemed like they were both more than happy to make me as happy and comfortable as possible, so while they both thought that perhaps they should offer to join me, they both settled on just letting me go, because if I had wanted company, they figured I would have asked. Apparently whatever sort of look I was giving them made them think that I wanted to be alone.

I made my way out the back door, down the steps to the porch, and out across the yard and headed for the tree line. I knew the Stackhouse property extended to the river back there, and that was where I headed. It was wooded, cool thanks to the shade the trees provided, and peaceful. I could be alone here without any distractions.

"Sookie!" I heard a familiar voice call.

"Hey Claudine." I mumbled. I was wondering when she would show up. I knew that everyone had fought over what would happen with me when I had tried to kill myself, and I figured now that I was out of the half-way house, it was only a matter of time before her and that man showed up, and eventually Eric, to find out how I was, and what I was going to do, and do whatever they had tried to do to me before to control my out of control life.

Claudine caught up to me, and then walked side by side with me for a bit, keeping my slow pace as I casually walked through the woods. God bless her for keeping her mouth shut until we got to the river. I had wanted some peace and quiet, which was why I came to the woods in the first place. When we finally reached the river, she had the decency to give me just a few minutes before she spoke.

"You look great." she told me and I smiled and thanked her. "So, you staying here in Bon Temps?" she asked, following me as I walked down the edge of the river a little.

"Yep. Got Gran's house all fixed up." I said, and was already tired of all the small talk. She wanted something. She had only shown up twice, to save me, and then once to thwart my escape attempt, and I still wasn't sure exactly how that had happened. How she just seemed to appear out of no where. "Why are you here? I'm not in danger am I?" I asked a little more sarcastic than I had intended, but I couldn't help how it came out.

"I just came to see you." she said, and frowned. I wasn't buying it. I had no clue who this lady was, but I was ready for some answers. I stopped where I was and just stared at her. "Niall wants to meet you." she finally blurted out.

"Who?" Was that the gentleman I had seen in Eric's lounge the night I tried to escape?

She smiled at me. "Never mind. Don't worry about it now. He won't even be able to for a month or so." She suddenly was beaming. "Which gives us a lot of time to get to know each other. Well, for you to get to know me. I already know lots about you." She was practically jumping up and down now and I smiled at her.

"Who are you?" I asked, deciding to get our little getting-to-know-you time off to a start.

"I told you silly. I'm Claudine."

"Claudine who? How do you know me? How do you seem to just suddenly appear? Do you go around doing that for lots of people?"

She started walking again, and I let her take a few steps before I started following her. "I'm Claudine Crane. I know you because we're related. I'm a… cousin." she said, settling on the word cousin and smiling at herself like she had made some sort of accomplishment. I was going to ignore the fact however that she seemed to think she was related to me in some way, and let her continue. I could ask when she was done. "I suddenly appear because I can do that. It's part of my magic. I'm a fairy. More precisely, I'm your fairy godmother." She smiled at that to. "And you're the only one I help. When you need it at least."

I stopped walking at that last statement. "Well you sure are lousy at it." I scoffed, and seemed to offend her. I wasn't going to apologize however. I was right. She did do a lousy job. Where the hell had she been all my life. More importantly, where the hell had she been the six months that I was constantly drunk. If she was my fairy godmother, I sure could have used her then, that was for darn sure.

I realized then that Eric had been right. She was a fairy as he had suspected. And she was also related to me in some way, or at least she said he was, as Eric had suspected.

"Well, I'm new at the job. But I know better now." she said, and started walking again, and I followed. "And hopefully, I wont have to keep coming back here to see you. I mean, don't get me wrong, I really like living here, but if I want to be an angel, there are things that I have to do back home to accomplish that."

"Why wouldn't you have to be coming back here to see me?" I asked, stopping again.

"Because you'll be with me Sookie. I can show you so many things." She walked over to me then, and put her hand to my cheek. "You have a bright spark in you cousin."

I had no clue what that meant. Was it because I was related to her? But then that would make me… "Hey, how exactly are we related?"

"Well, my uncle Fintan is your grandfather. At least, your biological grandfather. Not the man that you knew as your grandfather. My grandfather, Niall, Fintan's father, is your great-grandfather."

Whoa, wait a second. "What? No…" I half laughed. No way. Not true.

"Yes. You're part fairy, Sookie. It's small, but it's there. Enough that you have that spark in you. The part that makes you special."

"I… no. How is this possible? That means that Gran…?"

"Yes. Her and your grandfather Mitchell wanted children so badly. But he couldn't give them to her. She was a good woman Sookie, but our kind are very tempting to… well, everyone, including humans. She saw my uncle, Fintan, and he seduced her. She bore two children by him. Your father Corbett and your aunt Linda."

I was only out of the half-way house a few hours, and already my mental stability was being tested. I took a deep breath. "Do you mind just letting me alone for a while?" I asked her trying my best to smile.

Thank the good Lord above, she seemed to understand that she had just dumped quite a bit of information on me, and nodded, hugged me, and then popped away into thin air.

* * *

><p>"Sookie!" I heard Jason call. "Sookie, where are you!"<p>

"Sook!" Amelia's voice followed.

They were searching the woods for me. I wasn't ready to come in yet. Sure, it was long after dark, and it was cruel to keep them worried about me like that, but I just couldn't bear to come in yet. I felt like my entire world had been turned upside down, and it was the last thing that I needed.

I also didn't want to try to hide the turmoil I was going through in front of Jase and Amelia. They would be able to tell that something was wrong and I wasn't ready for all the questions. Sure, keeping them worried about me wasn't any better, but it gave me the chance to be alone, the time that I needed to calm myself down, to try to process the information that I had been given. To keep myself on the right track.

I kept telling myself it wouldn't always be this hard. It was only my first day out, on my own. I could adjust. I had adjusted in the half-way house. I could get through this, regardless of how much I wanted to call my councilor, or my sponsor.

But how the heck did I explain what was the matter?

I moved through the woods as quietly as I could, and as carefully as I could, considering it was dark, and I had only the moonlight to guide me. Jason and Amelia were getting close, and I needed just a little more time.

I found a new place to settle, and I concentrated on my breathing, and staying calm, and processing the information without letting it freak me out more than it had.

Okay, so Gran cheated on your grandpa. She was seduced. She loved your grandpa Sookie, you saw that when you were little. You remember it. They wanted children, and this Fintan person was able to give them that. He just also happened to be a fairy. So you were part fairy. How much? What was that… an eighth? See, hardly anything.

Okay, I could move past that part. What else had she talked about? Something I had skipped over, because she threw me off guard with that whole "we're related" thing.

Where exactly did she think I was going with her?

"Jason!" I called about thirty minutes later once I felt calmer. Him and Amelia were still out looking for me, but were heading back towards the house. "I'm over here!" I called, and waited silently for his reply. I had heard him call my name a moment ago, so I figured he couldn't be to far off.

"Sook?" he called back, and we slowly made our way to each other.

"Where's Amelia?" I asked when we reached each other.

"I sent her back to the house to call the police. Jesus sis, what the hell?" he said, hugging me.

"Sorry, I just got turned around a little bit out here." I said, trying to sound as apologetic as possible.

"Haven't you heard us calling for you?" We started to make our way back to the house with the help of Jason's flashlight.

"I guess I was off in my head or something. I wandered pretty far. Sorry." There was no way I was telling him about the meeting with Claudine and all the information she had dumped on me. Not yet anyway.

Jason put an arm around me and hugged me to him as we walked, making our way out of the woods and into the clearing of my backyard.

I glanced up at the house and saw Amelia out on the porch, talking to someone. They must have heard Jason and me approaching and they turned to us. The person she was talking to was tall, blonde, and vampire.

I froze.

* * *

><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

"Here is the information you requested on the hotel Pyramid of Gizeh in Rhodes. I've reserved rooms as you requested for the Sheriffs, along with a suite for yourself and Miss Ravenscroft. Shall I also reserve a room for Miss Stackhouse?" Bobby asked as I looked over the vampire amenities at the hotel the Summit would be taking place this time around. I stopped however, at his mention of Sookie, but then continued to read as if I was uninterested.

"She will not be joining us, as she is still unavailable." Bobby knew as well as I that she was in this half-way house. It was him that I charged with finding out her location in the first place, and keeping me updated on her situation. However, we did not discuss her situation, the fact that she had been in a rehabilitation facility, or now in a half-way home. We simply referred to her as being unavailable.

"That is the other matter I needed to discuss with you this evening Mr. Northman." He looked over his notebook. "She was released today from the half-way house. Her brother came to retrieve her, however the person we had watching her lost them on the highway due to a flat tire. We have someone at her brothers home now, as well as a man at the apartment in Shreveport, and one at… Miss Broadway's apartment, however no one has seen any of the three at all today or this evening."

I dropped the papers that I had been looking over. "Did you not tell me just two nights ago her release date was next week? Did I not tell you to keep me informed on any information regarding Miss Stackhouse? That I was to be informed immediately to any change in her situation?" I was growling now, and Bobby was slouching in his seat.

"Master, I am sorry. It was not brought to my attention until a short time ago. I was going to tell you the moment that we located her for you."

I slammed my fist down on my desk, and Bobby jumped slightly in his seat. "Fucking idiots! You can not even keep track of one human female?" I rose from my seat and headed towards the balcony, throwing open the glass doors and taking to the sky without another word to Bobby.

I flew as fast as I could towards Bon Temps. I would start there, search for her through the blood. Although it had been nine months since the last time she had taken my blood, there was still a small connection. I could not feel her most of the time unless I concentrated on it, and I wouldn't be able to track her unless she was close.

* * *

><p>When I was approximately ten minutes from Bon Temps I started concentrating on my blood in her. I felt around for her, and was pleased to find that she was close. Once within the city limits, I came to a stop near her brothers home and concentrated on my blood in her. I let it call to me. I smiled at the direction I was being led by it, and soon, I found myself outside her grandmothers home. However, she was not quite at it. She was in the woods behind it.<p>

I landed in her backyard, opting to walk in and locate her, but was stopped by a familiar voice calling to me from the porch.

"Eric! Wait!" the witch called. I stopped, reluctantly, and turned to her. "We can't find Sookie!" she yelled, and I approached her on the porch. "She went for a walk…" she started, but paused. "Wait, what are you doing here?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I came to see Sookie. I hear she was released today." I said simply, and then turned to head out to the woods to find her. But what the witch said next irritated me beyond belief.

"But how did you know to find her here? I seem to remember the guy following her getting a flat." she said, a devilish grin plastered on her face.

"I have my ways Miss Broadway." I said, turning back to the woods, but smiling at the fact that the witch seemed to be protective of Sookie. But as far as I was concerned, it was to little, to late from her. I had not been the only one to fail my fairy princess.

"Can't you just leave her alone, for a few days at least? Let her get settled." she pleaded as I made my way down the steps. This witch was irritating and trying my patience.

"I could say the same to you." I said, and then we both heard a noise, turning both our attentions to the woods at the edge of Sookie's yard. She emerged with her brother, and I watched as he put an arm around her and hugged her to him. They both smiled, and walked across the grass, keeping their eyes on their steps in the dark.

I watched as they approached, neither myself or the witch making a sound. Sookie looked up however, and focused on me for a moment before she froze in place. Her brother took a few steps before he stopped and looked back at her, then followed her gaze to the porch where the witch and I stood.

"Shit." I heard him say, and then he went back to Sookie's side. She just stood there however, fixated on me. Unmoving, frozen in time it seemed. I took a few steps in her direction but stopped when she was still unmoving.

"Give us a few minutes?" she said to her brother, even though she was staring at me. He started to protest, but she just raised her hand to his face, and he stopped. "Please, just a few minutes."

Why was she just asking for a few minutes? I planned on occupying her entire night. Every night now that she was out. If she would let me. And if she did not, I would persuade her eventually.

Her note had said she had loved me. It had been found in the pocket of the dress she wore when she threw herself from the roof of her apartment. Pam had said it was most likely a suicide note. Sookie's last words to the world were that she loved me, and she was sorry. Although she had nothing to apologize for. Not to me or anyone else.

But regardless of what her note had said, the small tie that I had to her emotions now told me that there was not a feeling of love for me now. Instead, she was nervous, slightly frightened, and slightly angry. I hoped that I had not lost the love that she had for me. I could not recall being loved by anyone since perhaps my mother. Pam was my child, and loved me in a way that vampires do, however, it was not love as humans saw it.

Like the love that Sookie had once felt for me.

Her brother finally conceded defeat and left her side, walking up the steps next to me, and then standing next to the witch. I walked down the steps and approached Sookie. She kept eye contact with me the entire time, and only broke it once I stood before her. She looked around me to her brother and the witch.

"Alone. Please?" she said, and they both let out a sigh as they turned and went into the house. Her eyes went back to my face once I heard the screen door shut. "Hello." she said.

"Sookie." I said in nearly a whisper. I closed the gap between us, taking her in my arms and hugging her to my body. I inhaled her scent, and absentmindedly rubbed mine on her. She smelled of all sorts of things, including fairy, probably Claudine, which all mingled with her natural scent. I did not care for the fact that mine was not there, and I was rectifying that situation. I felt her giggle as I rubbed my face in the crook of her neck, where her scent, the scent of her blood, was strong and nearly intoxicated me.

But I did not get to linger there as long as I would have cared. I felt her hand come up to my chest and push against me slightly. I looked back to her, meeting her eyes again, searching for something, the reason she pushed me away, the love she had once felt.

She took a deep breath before she spoke. "We need to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>Next up, the much commented and messaged about explanation from Eric!<strong>

**(Which is proving to be a B***H to write, even though I have known what it was, getting it out on paper is tough.)**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies!**


	14. He Cuddles Like a Pro

**Good evening!**

**Thanks for the kind words and alerts and favorites! I loves them!**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**Random A/N at the bottom.**

**Snoogans!**

* * *

><p>Eric was seriously invading my personal space, which wasn't anything new. He always seemed to stand closer than what seemed normal. Not that I necessarily minded, but it was making me nervous. I checked around him again to make sure Jase and Amelia were inside the house, and found that they were, but were both huddled around the living room window, looking out at us. I rolled my eyes and then looked back up to Eric.<p>

"Your employee's you've had watching me tell you I was out?" I asked, smiling at him. He cocked an eyebrow. "Just because I was in rehab doesn't mean I stopped being telepathic. You had one who was a particularly loud broadcaster. Used to hear him when we would go out to the garden." Eric just laughed a little. "Walk with me?" I asked, and started to move back towards the tree line. Eric followed and we walked along it's edge until we got close to the cemetery, and I turned us so we strolled along the cemetery's edge.

"You wanted to talk?" he finally asked.

"Yeah. I wanted to apologize to you." I said, and Eric seemed a bit shocked.

"You have nothing to apologize for." he practically whispered. I looked up to him, and saw… guilt?

"I do. At least, for my behavior. The drinking. I put a lot of people through a lot of stress and heartache because I was in a bad place. So I want to tell you that I am sorry. A lot of bad stuff happened, but I knew better than to drown my sorrows in alcohol."

"You owe no one anything. Your family, your friends… me. We are the ones who failed you."

"Well, a lot of stuff happened. But at least let me say I'm sorry for my part in it." I dared to glance up at him for just a moment and he seemed to have something he wanted to say, but was hesitant. "What is it?" I finally asked when he remained silent.

"I should never have sent you away." he finally conceded. I had told him before I went to the hospital that it was in the past. He didn't owe me an explanation. I was past it at this point. I just wanted to focus on the future and on staying better. I told him as much. "I would be happy to keep this in the past," he started, "but it is important to your current situation."

"With the fairies?" I asked, and he nodded. "Are they the reason you sent me away?" I asked.

"At the request of Niall Brigant." he said somberly, but I could see he was holding back the anger at recalling it. "The night you were upset with me, I sent Pam to retrieve you. While she was gone, Niall came to me."

"You don't strike me as the type who takes orders." I laughed.

"Normally, no. At least, not from a fairy. However his proposition to me was in your best interest."

"How? What proposition?"

"Did you see Claudine tonight?" he asked, looking over to me.

"I did."

"Has she told you about herself? About her family?" he asked, and I knew then that Eric must know of my supposed heritage.

"I know I'm related."

"Did she tell you of Niall?" he asked.

"He is her grandfather. My great-grandfather." I sighed. Eric didn't react, so I suspected that he knew at least as much as I did, even more from the sounds of it.

"Niall is a prince among his people. There is a civil war amongst the Fae. He came to me that night because he had information that two of his rivals followers were dispatched in hunting you down. I argued that I would be able to keep you safe from them but he did not trust in my conviction in the matter. He argued that I allowed you to be kidnapped and attacked by Bill Compton and therefore could not be trusted with your safety. He gave me a choice. Either have you return to Shreveport, away from me, or he would take you to the Fae realm. He argued that he could keep you hidden from his enemies there, just as your grandfather Fintan had done for so many years."

"So you agreed to have me return to Shreveport…" I sighed. "That's why when I showed up a few months later," I started, but Eric stopped us and turned me to him.

"I can not tell you how it pained me to be so cruel to you. I could see your suffering, I could feel your pain. But I could not risk you staying with me. If Niall wanted to take you to Fae, take you from me, he could. I fear that even now, when he finds that you are out of the facility, he will come for you. It is not a place that I can go to and find you if he does. We were able to talk him out of it by giving you the choice before you left, but I am not so sure he will be so compromising again."

"He knows." I told him. Claudine had said that Niall would be around to see me in a month or so when I had spoken with her that afternoon. "He'll be by to see me in a month or so. So we can figure something out in the mean time. I don't know where this Fae place is, but I know that I don't want to go." I said, and Eric smiled.

"So you forgive me?" he asked finally after we started our slow walk again. We had walked nearly to Hummingbird road at this point so I turned us around to go back towards my Gran's house. Well, I guess it was my house now.

"I was never mad at you for that part. There is nothing to forgive the way that I see it. Part of me was curious as to why you did it. Why you had rejected me. I had a lot of insecurities then, and maybe I still do a little." I looked up to Eric, who looked confused. "If you need me to forgive you for that, I do." I said to him and he seemed to relax a little more.

He took my hand then, and I let him. We walked the rest of the way back in silence, and I felt completely relaxed by the time we got back. Being near him seemed to calm me, and I needed it after what I had learned from Claudine that day.

We got to the edge of my front lawn and I could see Jason and Amelia back outside. I stopped us so that I could talk to Eric just a little more before I went back. "Listen, I'm really glad that you came tonight, and I'm glad you found me, even though Amelia arranged to have that man's tire blow out on the highway." I giggled a little over how ridiculous it had all been, her trying to keep everyone out of my life now that I was out. Her and Jason were trying to make things "normal" for me.

"Yes, she told me." Eric said stiffly. Then he looked down at me and smiled. I smiled back, and then we headed to the house. I walked up to the porch, and Eric followed. I stopped at my front door, with Jason and Amelia now at my heels, Eric behind them, and turned to face them all.

I took a deep breath. "Jason, Amelia. I don't know how to thank you enough for all the help you gave me in fixing this place up. I really truly appreciate it." They both beamed at me. "And I will thank you properly for it some day. But for now, Jason, I think it's best you be on your way. Amelia, I'd appreciate it if you went with him. At least for a little while."

"What?" Amelia blurted. Jason just had a dumbfounded look on his face.

"I need some time to myself. I don't need a babysitter." I said, watching both Amelia and Jason, because that was how they thought of staying with me. Jason had planned to spend the first few nights here, but I was having none of that. I wanted to be alone. I hadn't been alone in so long. I didn't want someone hovering over me every second that I was awake, analyzing my every moving, driving me bonkers. I needed to relax, and concentrate on me.

"What the hell Sook? After all we done for you?" Jason said, anger rising in his voice. He was genuinely mad. I know I had said I owed them for all their help, but Jason felt like he was entitled to a lot more. He felt like I should be kissing his butt for what he did for me. Amelia was thinking the same for the most part.

This just managed to make me mad, which I noticed Eric could feel, because he moved a little closer to Jason, ready to do who knows what if Jason didn't shut his mouth.

"Jason Stackhouse, I know you've done a lot for me, and like I said, I can't thank you enough for it. But if you think I should be worshiping you for it, you're going to be disappointed." I looked over at Amelia. "That goes for you to." I glanced up at Eric for a moment and saw him smirk.

"If it weren't for us, you'd probably be dead by now." Jason mumbled.

I never wanted to hit someone so much as I did just then for what Jason had said. Eric grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked Jason back. "If you had been any kind of a brother to her, any kind of a man, she would never have been in this position in the first place." Eric growled at him. Jason nearly lost all the color in his face, and Amelia looked like she was ready to scream.

"Eric." I whispered, and he let Jason go, but not before nearly tossing him to the ground in the process. I opened the screen door. "Amelia, you better pack a bag. Enough for at least a week." I told her, and she stomped in past me. "Jason, you should go get your things as well." He did his own bit of stomping before disappearing into the house. I could hear them both gathering what they needed. I turned to Eric and thanked him for being in my corner.

Jason and Amelia were inside for about five minutes before they came back out, bags in hand. Amelia seemed to have calmed down some, but Jason was still fuming. "When you're ready to talk, call me." she said, and made her way over to Jason's truck. Jason didn't say anything on his way out the door, but once at the bottom of the steps, he stopped and looked back to me and Eric.

"You letting him stay? You choosing some vamp over your own brother? Over your best friend?" he seethed. Yeah, he was still pissed.

I merely replied "Good night Jason." and he stormed off over to his truck. Just before he got in, I hollered out to him. "Oh, and Jason! I appreciate the job offer you got for me, but next time, it might be a good idea to find a recovering alcoholic a job somewhere other than a bar and grill. So tell your friend thanks but no thanks." I heard Eric laugh a little, and Jason just grunted before he hopped in his truck and sped out of my driveway. I realized how petty it seemed to yell that out to Jason, but I honestly meant it just so that he would tell the owner and not leave him hanging, expecting me to come in for an interview and trial run.

Once Jasons's tail lights disappeared, Eric and I both turned back to each other. He had some smug look on his face. He looked like he had just won some prize. He took a few steps so that he was standing right in front of me. I put up my hands and he stepped close enough so that they were now resting on his very muscular chest. I had to take a deep breath and concentrate. "Whoa, wait a second." I said, and Eric looked down at me with one eyebrow cocked. "I said I wanted to be alone, and that means you to."

"But we still must discuss the fairy situation." he said, but I kept my hands in place, I wasn't letting him past me.

"And we can do that. We've got a month, and you probably already have something up your sleeve anyway. But right now, I just want to get settled in my home and go to bed. I'm exhausted." I looked back up at him, and shook my head a little. "Eric," I whispered. He brought a hand up and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Yes Sookie?" he whispered right back.

"I rescind your invitation to my home."

Eric dropped his hand, but he didn't look upset. He smiled a little and stepped away from me. "As you wish." he smiled.

"I know that you'll send guards, and I can't stop you. Just so long as I can't see or hear them," I said, tapping my temple with my right index finger, "then you go ahead and do whatever you want. All's I ask is that you don't send Alcide. We don't get along so well, and I don't think he'll do the job you want him to." I thought about telling Eric what had happened, but now wasn't the time.

Eric nodded and stepped down off the porch. I opened my screen door and started to step inside, but I stopped and turned back to him. He had stopped just past the bottom step. "Good night, Sookie."

"Good night, Eric." I stepped the rest of the way in, shutting and locking both the screen and door behind me. I leaned back against the door and smiled at my boldness tonight. I wanted to be alone. I didn't want Eric to sneak in like he used to in my apartment in Shreveport, and I didn't want Jason and Amelia hovering over me.

I got ready for bed and as I turned off my bedside light I reached out with my mind to see if Eric already had a man around the property, but was pleasantly surprised when I found only one vampire mind/void. It was hovering just above the trees. I guess Eric was taking the first shift.

* * *

><p>I spent that next week alone. All alone. It was great.<p>

The morning after my homecoming, I awoke to find my old car, the one that Eric had bought for me when I started working for him, sitting in my driveway. I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the porch just after sunrise and stared at the car. I still remembered the basics from the one time that Eric had taken me out driving and decided that I could practice in my own car by driving up and down my driveway, and then hopefully later this week, I could find the local DMV and see about getting a license.

I planned on going back to work for Eric, which meant that I was either going to have to drive to Shreveport or make trips down to New Orleans, and I wanted to know how to drive myself. I was still under his contract, at least I figured it was, since neither of us had talked about it in ages. But I signed it, and I failed horribly at it, so I needed to make it up to him. I said I would do a job, and while I had a lousy start at it, I was going to at least do my best at trying to finish it.

I wanted to call Eric that next night because frankly, I missed him. And he seemed to still care about me in some way. Plus, a month wasn't a long time to figure out how to keep me out of this Fae place when I seriously thought about it. I had been so desperate to be alone the previous night that I made a month sound like practically a year in my head. But now I was realizing it really wasn't that much time at all. I wondered if Niall would really take me against my will. I also wanted to ask Eric more about fairies. I trusted him more than Claudine or Niall to be truthful in the matter. I wanted to also know if what Claudine had said was right, about me being part fairy.

Eric had once told me that the fairy wouldn't intervene with my life so directly normally unless they were family. And this Niall person seemed to be going to great lengths to protect me, considering he was a prince according to Eric.

Then it hit me. If he was my great-grandfather, and he was really a prince, like royalty and all… did that make me a fairy princess? I laughed to myself at the idea, and nearly spit out the coffee I had just taken a sip of.

Sookie Stackhouse: Telepathic Fairy Princess.

Well, if Eric had to marry royalty since he was now royalty, at least I fit the bill. Oh geeze, where had that thought come from? Marrying Eric. I laughed to myself again. What next? I start writing "Sookie Northman" all over a notebook?

Anyway, that first week alone was great. I even got the nerve up to venture over to the old Compton place to see if I could meet the new neighbors. But each time I went, no one seemed to be home. I did like what they had done with the place however. The house was now pained a dark grey with an even darker grey, sort of brown trim. Like Jason had done to my place, all the windows and doors had been replaced. I tried to look inside but all the curtains had been drawn each time I went. The exterior of the house also seemed to have had a lot of work done to it. Not only had it been pained, but a lot of the siding appeared to have been replaced, and the balcony on the second floor looked brand new, and had beautiful sconces between each window that I was sure gave the place a beautiful glow at night.

On the sixth night of my first week back, the sun set, and the guard who had been watching me that day left, and a vampire showed up. I could tell they were a vampire because of the void, but didn't go looking for them. I was just going to do what I did every night and pretend they weren't there. Eric had kept to my specifications for the most part and made sure the people he had watching me kept their distance. I only outright noticed one once. He was a loud broadcaster, and was worried about me hearing him, although he wasn't sure how I would when he was so far away. This just made me laugh, imagining the stern instructions that Eric must have given.

So on that sixth night, with my vampire guard for the evening, and nothing to do, I decided that I'd drive myself on down to the local bar and grill. While I wasn't keen on working there, I figured I could handle having a supper there at the very least. I mean, I wasn't going to be able to avoid being around places that served alcohol the rest of my life, so I should at least get used to it. Not that I felt the urge to drink, but I wanted to be careful. I mean, being careful would have been going there with someone, but I still liked being on my own, and I wasn't quite ready to call Jason or Amelia yet, so it was dinner alone for me at Merlotte's because I didn't want to stay cooped up in the house another night.

I grabbed my keys and locked up the house before practically bounding out to my car. I had been driving up and down the driveway all week and even ventured out onto Hummingbird road a few times. I even headed all the way out to Parish Road 34 once, and drove down it a bit, circling All Faiths Church and then heading back home. That's how I found out where Merlotte's was, because I passed it on the way there and back.

I was rather proud at myself for my driving. I was doing good it seemed. I hadn't gotten in an accident, and I was keeping the car on the road, and even in my lane. I wasn't causing backups and no one had honked at me. I figured driving at night would be easy, although it did take me a moment to figure out how to turn on the headlights.

I crawled down my driveway, cursing myself for not insisting that it get re-graveled before I moved back in, and then pulled out on to Hummingbird Road. Night driving wasn't so bad. It was whatever was in the road that blew my tire out that was the problem.

"Shoot." I cursed to no one in particular, maybe the tire or whatever had popped it, as I stepped out of my car. I got back in my car and pulled out my cell phone, trying to decide if I wanted to call Jason and ask for his help, or call information and get the number for a local mechanic to come help. I hadn't made it to the Parish Road, so I was still within walking distance of my home, although it would be a dark and lonely walk.

I started to call information when there was a knock on my driver side window. I nearly jumped out of my skin and turned to find Eric leaning down and looked at me through the window. I let out a deep breath I hadn't realized I was holding before I rolled down the window.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. I had assumed he had gone back to New Orleans. I hadn't heard from him since the night that I sent him away.

"I was in the area." he said, and smiled. Oh, my vampire guard for the night? I asked him. "Yes. Like I said, I was in the area, and I had no business this evening, so I took the shift." he smiled at me.

"Well, thank you Eric." I smiled back at him.

"You have a flat." he said. "I was not aware that you procured a drivers license." he commented and I blushed. "I didn't think so. Have you called for assistance yet?" I shook my head. "I will help you then."

I started to protest, to let him know he didn't have to. He could just wait with me while a tow truck or something came, but he walked away from my window and around to the back of my car. I popped the trunk for him and watched as he opened it and took out the things that he would need.

"You will need to exit the car for this." he said, and I stepped out, standing on the shoulder and watching as he quickly and expertly changed the tire on my car. Using his vampire speed and strength came in handy, because it was changed in no time. He even managed to keep most of the grease off his hands and clothes.

"Thank you." I told him as he put the tools and then the flat in my trunk.

"You should not drive on that tire unless necessary until it is replaced." He came over to me, and went to put his arms around me, but I stepped back. He quirked his eyebrow.

"You've got grease on your hands and clothes. I don't want you getting that on me. I'll never get it out. I like this outfit." I giggled. "Come on, you can clean up at my place." I said, and motioned for him to get in the passenger seat. He hesitated for a moment, but this was my car, and I was still learning the way I saw it, so I was driving.

"I did not mean to disturb you this evening. I know you asked that any guard you have keep their distance, however I thought it better to intervene in this situation."

I smiled as I turned back down my driveway. "Well I'm glad you did."

I parked and then we walked up my porch and to the front door. I turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open while Eric held the screen, careful not to use any part of his hands that had grease on them. I took a few steps inside and then turned to Eric. "Eric, won't you please come in?" I asked and he smiled and entered. He headed to the kitchen and I put my cardigan and purse away in my room. I had dressed in jeans and a plain white tank top that had spaghetti straps and opted for a black cardigan over it. I kicked off my flats before I left and made my way back out to the kitchen.

When I got there, I found Eric drying his hands and I made my way to the fridge. I guess I wasn't going to Merlotte's tonight, so I needed to eat something. I pulled out the last serving of the lasagna I had made the other night and popped it in the microwave. "I'm sorry, I don't have any True Blood for you." I told Eric but he just shrugged.

I took a seat at the kitchen table, and Eric sat across from me. "Where were you headed this evening?" he asked.

"Merlotte's. It's just down the road. I've been here at the house all week, I waned to get out for dinner."

"Have you spoken with your brother or the witch?" he asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"No. Figured I get time to myself and they get time to cool off. They were pretty upset over what I said to them."

"You spoke the truth."

We were silent for a few minutes before I heard the microwave ding. I stood up and got my meal, then sat back at the table with Eric. But before I took a bite I looked up at him. "This doesn't bother you? I'm sorry I don't have anything to offer you."

"Do not apologize. I was unexpected. Besides, I have eaten already this evening." he said, and I think that I must have made a face at that, because he went from being casual to visibly being sorry for what he had just said. He started to say something but I spoke first.

"It's fine. You need to eat to. It's not my place to say anything about it. I'm sorry if I made a face. I just remembered how you used to eat at Fangtasia. None of my business." I said, and then quickly took a bite of my food so I'd shut up. Eric smiled a little and leaned forward in his chair.

"I had a True Blood." he told me, and I fought a smile.

"I thought you hated those." I said before taking another bite.

"We need to discuss plans to keep you from being taken by Niall." he said, changing the subject.

"And I bet you've already got a plan for that." I said, talking another bite. He nodded and I finished chewing and swallowed. "Are you going to tell me what it is?" I asked, taking another bite of my supper.

"We will bond." he said, and I nearly spit out my food, which made Eric laugh.

I grabbed my napkin and wiped my mouth as I hurried to chew and swallow the food in my mouth. "What?" I said, completely taken off guard.

"If we are bonded, Niall will not risk taking you from me and starting a war. Taking my bonded from me would risk starting a war with the vampires, and that did not turn out so well for their kind last time. If he were to take the bonded of a king, it would mean war. He already has enough trouble with the civil war between his own kind. He would not chance spreading his forces even thinner."

I set my fork down. I suddenly wasn't very hungry anymore. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. Niall is smart. As I said, he won't risk another war." Eric replied, leaning forward at the table, resting his elbows on it, eyeing my plate, having noticed I had stopped eating.

"No, I meant bonding… are you sure about that?" I let out a sigh and put my head down. "You don't have to do that for me. I'm sure there's another way. This shouldn't be your problem…"

"It is your problem, so it is mine as well." he said, and I smiled as I looked down at my hands, fidgeting in my lap. "Finish eating. I know you are hungry. Eat, and then we will finish this conversation."

I nodded and did as I was told. I can't say that I didn't feel a little awkward however having Eric just stare at me as I ate. But I wanted to finish my meal so that we could finish the conversation he started, so I didn't stop to chit chat. Instead, I finished as quickly as I could, brought my dishes to the sink and washed them, setting them in the drying rack as Eric watched from the kitchen table. Once I was done, he stood, and made his way to my living room and made himself comfortable on my couch, stretching out across it completely. I followed him, but headed for one of the chairs across from it, but as I passed him, he took my wrist and pulled me to him.

I giggled as he pulled me on to his lap, and he smiled, but pulled me close to him. Both his legs were now up on the couch with his back resting against the arm of the couch. He had pulled me so that I was laying on him, on my side, head reading on his chest. I had my ear against where his heart would be beating, but I heard nothing. It was odd, but interesting.

"You're awfully forward tonight." I laughed into his chest. I didn't make a move to get up. I was happy for the contact with another body. I had enjoyed my time alone, but I really was missing contact with another being. And I was realizing then how much I really did miss our cuddles. It always made me giggle a little that Eric seemed content sometimes to just cuddle with me. He was good at it too. He made me feel safe and secure and warm, even though his body was cool.

Eric just kissed the top of my head and I nestled into him further. "I could always turn you." he finally said, and I my head shot up to look at him.

"No. I don't want to be turned." I told him, and Eric nodded. "Can you promise me that? You won't ever turn me. Even if I'm going to die."

Eric rubbed my back. "I promise. No matter how much I may want to keep you."

"Thank you." I said, and put my head back on his chest. "Tell me about bonding."

"I believe you already know the basics. Exchanging blood would form the bond. You have had enough of mine that I doubt you would need more, however it has been quite a while, and I would not want to risk the bond not being complete, so we would exchange together."

"How long will it last?" I asked, starting to trace my finger on his chest, over his shirt, next to my face.

"Forever. For as long as you are alive, or until I meet my final death. If we stopped exchanging blood after it was formed it would weaken over time, but it would never completely fade."

"It just seems to drastic to keep Niall away. This would last the rest of my life. You would be stuck feeling me. There isn't something less permanent?" I asked. I was already worried about growing old and having him lose interest in my wrinkly old body, opting for something young and fresh. And he's regret being bonded to me.

"Fairies live for a long time. Niall himself is several centuries at this point, and I guess that he may live a few more."

"Oh." Well, there went anything temporary. "Couldn't I just reason with him? If he cares about me as he says he does, wanting to keep me safe, won't he be willing to listen?"

"Perhaps. But would you risk it?"

"I guess I don't see the point in taking me to Fae if he's trying to keep me safe. If there are other fairies there who want to hurt me because I'm related to him, isn't that a bad place to take me to keep me safe?"

"Niall is very powerful, Sookie. He has many faithful followers who are powerful as well. I do not doubt that he has ways of protecting you in Fae." Eric started to rub his hand slowly up and down my back, over my tank top, almost absent mindedly it seemed.

"How come I never saw him before then?" I asked.

"The civil war is a recent turn of events for his kind. It did not start until you were free of the mental institution. Before you left, he had known of you, but did not know what had happened to you. Your grandfather Fintan made sure to keep Niall away from you until his death. He was smart enough not to let on to your existence. However once he had passed, Niall started to keep tabs on you. He was discovered, and your identity was revealed as a relative."

"So then how would him sending me back to Shreveport have been safe?"

"He has powerful magic, and many powerful allies. I am sure you were safe there." Eric said, and put his arms around me, hugging me to him again.

"So what will bonding be like?" I asked, changing back to our original subject.

"Simply, you will feel me as I feel you." he said and I understood. I knew what it was like for him to feel me. I wondered what it would feel like if it was me feeling him. "You will be able to feel my proximity to you as I can feel yours. You will be mine."

"And you'll be mine." I whispered. I felt Eric kiss the top of my head again, and I could tell he was smiling. "There is no other alternative?" I asked.

"None that will be as effective."

I looked up to him, resting my chin on his chest. "Well, I guess we don't have a choice." I said.

"You have a choice. We could try to think of something else. We could run from here. Keep running."

"I don't want to run. I don't want to be on the run for the rest of my life."

"Then we can think of something else." he said, and I shook my head.

"No. I'll bond with you." I said, sounding completely sure of my choice.

Eric cupped my face with his hands. "I will not have you feel forced and resent me later for it." he said, completely serious.

"It's my choice. I've made it. I'll bond with you." I said, and Eric smiled before leaning forward, causing me to sit up a little, and then laying the mother of all kisses on me. I was already nearly laying completely on my stomach when I had been laying on top of him, and since I was now nearly in an upright position, the only way to get comfortable was to straddle him.

Eric made a grunting noise as I did, and wrapped both his arms around my back, pulling me to him. His tongue teased my lips and I granted him access. It had been quite some time since the last time I had been kissed. The last time had been with Eric, before I had gone in to rehab. I had nearly forgotten what those kisses did to me. I felt warm and tingly all over. I realized I was leaning my body into his, and broke away from his lips, not only for the oxygen that I desperately needed, but because I was shocked at myself for how I was responding to him.

Sure, I had feeling for Eric. I had big lust for him. I loved him. But I wasn't sure how far I was ready to go yet. I had told him once that I had expectations if we were going to be together. I knew I was going to be starting the process of bonding with him at some point, but if it went any further than that, my expectations of him hadn't changed. I needed to be his one and only, just as he would be mine.

And then it hit me. His reason before as to why that couldn't be was because he needed blood. And sex was a part of that most of the time. But if he was taking my blood, he wouldn't need it from anyone else. I smiled and he raised an eyebrow, but I just shook my head.

"Sookie." Eric breathed heavily, which was odd, because he didn't really need to breathe. His eyes were hooded, and he was looking at me very seriously. I remembered that look.

"Eric, I'm not ready for that yet." I told him, and I knew he knew what I meant. He nodded, and then scooped me up quicker than I could register and I giggled at the suddenness of it. He started to walk out of the living room and towards my bedroom door. "What are you doing?" I asked as he pushed open my bedroom door.

"We should start the process, and you will be more comfortable this way." he said, depositing me at the foot of my bed.

"But…" I started, but he interrupted, glancing at the bedside clock.

"Get ready for bed." he told me, and kicked off his shoes as he made his way to the other side. I watched as he walked around and sat down on the edge. He turned to me and motioned with his hands for me to get a move on, so I climbed off my bed and went to my dresser, pulling out a pale pink sleep tank top and grey sleep pants. I made my way to the bathroom to change and take care of my human needs. I brushed my teeth and washed my face while I was in there and when I emerged, Eric had made himself comfortable on my bed. He was still in his jeans and Pink Floyd shirt, which fit snugly against his body. I switched off the bathroom light and climbed in to bed with him.

Eric was still on top of the covers, so that's where I stayed as well. I was suddenly very nervous as Eric pulled me to him again, but this time, he had me rest between his legs, with my back leaning against his chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist, keeping me locked against him. I rested my arms on top of his.

He wasted no time in pulling my hair off to my left side and pulling down the strap on my tank top, exposing the right side of my neck. My breathing increased as he started to plant small kisses up and down my neck, going nearly up to my ear lobe, and then all the way down the slope of my neck to practically my shoulder.

My heart was racing. Partly because I had that tingly feeling again, all over my body, and partly because of my nerves. "Will this hurt?" I finally asked as he started to settle back on my neck with his lips.

"Never." he said, and I felt his fangs scrape against the neck of my skin, sending shivers all over every inch of my body. I closed my eyes, and I think I even moaned a little, which I was instantly embarrassed about.

Eric hugged me to him a little tighter, and that's when I became aware of exactly how he was feeling about the situation, because it was pressing firmly against my back. I was a little shocked at myself for how erotic it made me feel in that moment.

"Are you ready?" he whispered in my ear. The feel of his breath made me grip his arms a little tighter, and I nodded. His lips traveled back down to my neck, and I felt him lick my neck in what seemed to be his intended spot and kiss there one last time.

And then he bit.

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><p><strong>So yeah... there's that. :D<strong>

**But what I really was wondering was if anyone knew if there was any Harper Connley/Grave Series fanfic on this site? I've looked, and tried searching, but me and search engines don't get along, so I can't trust the results. If there is, and you know of it, please let me know. :)**

**Thanks!**

**Snoogans and Snoochie Boochies!**


	15. She's a bad mother Shut your mouth!

**Well 'ello 'ello!**

**So this chapter is a little longer than usual, but hey, like that's a bad thing?**

**Hope everyone is having a good week.**

**Thanks to everyone who's left reviews and alerts and added this to their favorites. I love it. I read every one, and they make me happyface.**

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot.**

**And CBS owns one of the lines that I used later on, cause I saw it on "Two Broke Girls" and it cracked me up cause it was true.**

**Snoogans!**

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><p>I was so tense. I had been so nervous. Even though Eric had said it wouldn't hurt, I was still worried it would. I mean, how could my skin being pierced and my blood drawn from me not hurt?<p>

I was so wrong.

A moan escaped my lips and I relaxed completely against him. Eric's arms tightened around me as he took a few deep draws. I was feeling sensations all over my body that I had never experienced before, and I thought for a second I might explode, or at the very least combust.

And then just as soon as it felt like it had begun, it was over.

Eric released his mouth from my neck, and then licked the spot that he had bitten. I heard him moan as he did, and then when he was done, he rested his forehead on the back of my neck. His arms squeezing me a little tighter, his hands ghosting up and down my sides.

"I want you." he growled into my back. Boy, understatement of the year. I realized in that moment how very, very much I wanted him too. My heart was racing, I felt dizzy from all the sensations I was feeling in that moment. The lust, desire, passion, the coil that had started to wind itself in my belly.

It was like there was another version of me, crawling under my skin, begging to be let lose. She wanted to turn around and tackle Eric. To kiss him, to bite him, to make love to him. It took every fiber of my being to keep her caged away in that moment.

"I'm not ready." I whispered, regretting every word as I said it. But it was the truth. I was no where near ready. Eric may have woken something inside me, but she wasn't ready to be let lose yet. I was barely out of rehab and the half way house. I was still adjusting to living. And even after everything that had happened with me, I still had one rule I was sticking to. I needed him to be mine, and only mine. I wasn't going to share.

"Yield to me Sookie." he breathed. "I can feel it. I can feel you." He kissed my neck again where he had bitten. "Can you feel how much I want you right now? Do you doubt it is true?"

I could feel him, I realized. I could pinpoint that the lust was partly his. I had my own there as well, but when I concentrated on it, it was like it was flowing from him in to me.

…_fucking irresistible… …mine… …more…_

I stiffened, and then scrambled out of Eric's arms. We both felt sorrow at the loss of contact, but I had to be away from him in that moment.

Shoot! Shoot shoot shoot! This was the last thing that I needed. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. No, that hadn't just happened. It couldn't have. I refused to believe it.

Eric's eyes were focused on mine as I willed myself to calm down. It was bad enough that I had just jumped out of bed and scrambled away from him, so it was obvious something was wrong. I had to down play it.

Eric just quirked an eyebrow at me. "It's late. I'm exhausted." I told him, and did my best fake yawn, covering my mouth for effect. I had remembered the night I met Eric and Pam. He had tested me then to see if I could read his mind, and I couldn't. I'd been around vampires for nearly two years now, and never once had I heard a peep from any of them. Not a once. I had a feeling that if Eric had found out that first night that I could read vampires, I would have been no more. I was scared that that may still be the case.

Eric smiled at my fake attempt at being sleepy. The truth was, I was wired now. "My little bull-shitter. You cannot hide what you are feeling from me." he said, but he didn't seem upset at all. At least, I didn't feel that from him, the little that I could feel.

"I really am tired. Can we talk about this later?" I asked.

Eric shifted and moved off of my bed, and towards me. "Why are you frightened?" he asked, brushing a lose strand of hair behind my ear.

"I'm not." I said meekly.

"As you wish." he finally conceded. He took my hand and led me back to the bed. I climbed in on my side, and Eric just stood there over me for a moment. "Would you like me to stay until you fall asleep?" he asked.

"No, I'm all right." I smiled my best smile at him. It was forced, but it seemed to work. Eric smiled back and then leaned down and tried his best to convince me to let him stay by kissing me as passionately as I had ever been kissed before. I hadn't even realized I had wrapped my arms around his neck until he started to pull away and I lifted slightly off the bed. Eric chuckled at that and then gave me one final peck on the cheek before leaving my room. I waited to hear the screen door shut, and then I hopped out of bed to throw the dead bolt and make sure all the lights were off before heading back to bed.

It was a sleepless night however. I tossed and turned. When I did fall asleep, I had nightmares of Eric attacking me because he knew I had heard his thoughts. He was chasing after me, and I was running as quickly as I could away from him. He was a master hunter, and I was his prey. And each time, I would wake just as he caught me.

At five in the morning, I finally gave up on trying to sleep and threw on my robe, heading for the kitchen. I went through the motions of making biscuits from an old recipe I had found in the kitchen a few days before. I had picked up all the ingredients for them, but hadn't made them yet. I figured now was as good a time as any, and set to work.

But I was so distracted. I was running on autopilot.

I realized I was so freaked out over reading Eric's mind because I was scared of what he would do to me if he found out. Which made me realize that I didn't trust him like I thought I did. Yep, that was it. I didn't trust Eric. Not one hundred percent anyway.

Geeze, then why are you bonding yourself to him? Well, because unless I wanted to go on the run alone, or risk bargaining with Niall to stay here, I didn't really have any other options. I believed Eric when he said that bonding was the most viable option, and I trusted that he would keep his word to keep me out of this Fae place, but I didn't trust he wouldn't kill me if he knew I heard his thoughts.

Now, granted, they weren't the worst thoughts ever. I smiled to myself as I plopped another raw biscuit on to the baking sheet. He had thought I was irresistible, he had thought the word 'mine'. My smile turned to a frown… I hoped he was thinking those things about me, and not my blood. Sure, my blood was part of me, but I really hoped he thought that I was irresistible and not just after my blood. I remembered the first time he had tasted my blood. Even though it was a drop, he had told me he wanted more.

Great, another thing to stress myself out over.

Now I had a decision to make. I hadn't realized before last night that I didn't completely trust Eric. I thought I had, but I didn't. So did I continue with bonding to him or not? I didn't know what to do. And the more that I thought about it, the more that I was unsure that bonding was the right decision.

I was jumping to all these conclusions that Niall would automatically take me to Fae with our without my consent. What if he just wanted to get to know me? Or protect me in some other way?

He sure had done a lousy job at it since I got out of the mental hospital.

They all had.

Not that I was completely blameless in all this mess my life had turned out to be these last two years, but if all these people claimed to be family or friends, caring about me and wanting to protect me, they sure did one hell of a job.

If only Eric or Pam or Amelia had told me about rescinding a vampire's invitation, I could have saved myself from Bill, and I never would have been attacked. Niall probably wouldn't have gone to Eric that night, making him send me back to Shreveport . Eric wouldn't have had to turn me away so cruelly. I wouldn't have gone sulking to Amelia and then realized that I could drown all my sorrows in alcohol. I probably never would have leapt off the roof of my apartment building, or ended up in rehab and a half-way house.

So much would have been different if people would have just been honest with me, or not kept things from me. I wasn't a child. So I lived more than half my life in a mental institution, that didn't automatically make me stupid or child-like. Sure, I wasn't street smart, and there was a lot of stuff that I didn't know, but I never pretended to be a know-it-all either.

I was realizing that I didn't trust a single one of them. Not completely. No. If I wanted to stay safe, I needed to make sure I was making an informed decision. Not just jumping into bonding with Eric to keep safe, not just automatically running off to hide from Niall the rest of my life. If that was even possible.

And I also realized that I was doing the exact same thing that I wished they hadn't done to me. I was keeping a secret. But in my case, this secret wasn't going to hurt anyone but me… possibly.

What if I told Eric and he didn't automatically want to kill me? Things were different now. He knew me, he cared about me. It wasn't like I was a stranger anymore. He knew that I cared for him. I hoped that he knew I would never try to use anything I ever heard from his mind against him. I hoped that he knew that hearing what he was thinking was actually the last thing that I wanted. That's part of what attracted me to vampires in the first place. They were quiet. I didn't have to work to keep my shields up around them. I could relax completely.

Well, I could around Eric and Pam at least. And even then, that was probably a little crazy. Like an antelope relaxing around a lion. I chuckled aloud to myself.

I needed to talk to Claudine.

* * *

><p>"Sookie?" Amelia said as she answered her phone.<p>

"Yeah, it's me. How are you?" I asked. "You still at Jason's?"

"Yeah. Listen, I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to be so over protective, or treat you like you needed a sitter."

"I know you didn't. And I really want to talk to you about that, but first, I need your help."

"Anything Sook." she said, and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"How can I protect myself against a fairy?"

* * *

><p>So now here I was, attempting to drive on my spare tire so I could go get the regular one fixed, and stop by Wal-mart. I needed lemon juice and anything iron that I could find.<p>

I wondered suddenly if this was why I didn't care for lemon? Probably, but oh well. At least it didn't have the side effects on me that it was going to have on a fairy if I had to use it on one of them.

I made my way through the woods behind my house shortly after my return from my shopping adventure. It was nearly noon now. The tire change took a little longer than expected, and I felt a little out of place since everyone at the shop seemed to know everyone else. Was this the local hang out on Saturday's or something?

"Claudine!" I called again in to the woods. "Claudine, I need to talk to you!" I had been wandering for nearly an hour now with no luck. "I need your help!" I called again. I was ready to give up. If she hadn't come by now, I had little hope that she would. I had to find another way to get her to come to me, since I had no clue where to go to find her.

* * *

><p>"You can do this… you can do this…" I kept repeating to myself as I climbed the ladder I had placed against the side of my house. It wasn't so much the climb to my roof that was scaring me, it was the thought about what I was going to do once I got up there. I hesitantly placed my foot on the bottom step of the ladder for the fifth time, only this time, I didn't step right off it. This time, I kept on climbing. Slowly, but I did it.<p>

Of all the stupid things that I had done, this had to be the stupidest. Well, maybe not the stupidest, but it was up there on the list. I inched my way to the edge of the roof once I made my way off the ladder. I peered over the edge. I had a flash of the sidewalk below my apartment building in Shreveport, and the empty bottle of Jack Daniels shattering as it hit the pavement.

I took a deep breath. I should have picked a higher roof. More time to save me. This was stupid. She'd have maybe two seconds, at most, to stop me from hitting the ground.

"Don't you dare." I heard her voice behind me. I was thankful that I wasn't a fraction of an inch closer to the edge, or she might have startled me right off the edge.

"I wouldn't have to if there was an easier way of getting in touch with you." I smiled.

"Well, you've got me. Can we get off the roof now?" she asked, and I nodded.

Once on the ground, I started in on her. "Why does Niall want me?"

"You're family, Sookie. He just wants to keep you safe." she smiled her perfect fairy smile at me.

"Bullshit." I said, and flushed a little at my foul language. I had gotten into the bad habit of cussing when I drank, and I was trying to break my potty language. My Gran would have had a bar of soap in my mouth so quick it made my head spin just thinking about it. "If keeping me safe means letting me turn in to a drunk and spiraling out of control, then we have a serious issue here."

"But you were at least alive… there were other pressing matters that we had to attend to. You could be made sober again once we were able to come to you."

"I heard about your civil war." I took a seat on the swing on my front porch. "If Niall came, and I told him I didn't want to go to Fae, what would happen?" I asked. Claudine joined me on the bench. I could see her sniff the air a little, and I wondered if she smelled the lemon I had on me. If she did, she didn't really think anything of it. I was sure she didn't suspect that I had lemon juice all loaded up in a squirt gun.

"Sookie, you don't know what you're talking about. You belong with us. With your kind."

"I'm happy right here though." I told her.

"You could be so much happier with us."

"Would he force me to go if I told him I didn't want to?"

"Why would you refuse?" she asked, genuinely shocked that I had even considered refusing to go with them. "This place has nothing to offer you. You could be so much more."

"I'm quite content where I am. Now, you didn't answer my question, would he force me?"

Claudine sighed. "He would. But it would be for your own good. You'd see that eventually."

"Well you can tell him I won't go without a fight."

"I don't think you realize what you're turning down." she said, and all the joy and love and happiness that normally filled her voice was gone. She was quite serious now. "You can have a husband there. Children."

I let out an exaggerated sigh. "Why does everyone seem to assume that's what I want? And who says that I can't have those things here!" Here we go again, people trying to make decisions for me. I was realizing I really really hated that.

"You could. But if you were with your own kind, you wouldn't be able to hear their thoughts. I know you can't read the vampires, but you can't have a child by one of them."

"Look. First off, don't just assume to know what I do and don't want. Second, don't try to tell me what's best for me, or force me to do something I don't want to do. Third, I am with my own kind. I'm more human than anything else, so the way I see it, I'm exactly where I belong." I stood up and walked to the edge of the steps. Claudine stood and came over to stand across the steps from me.

"Why don't you at least think it over? You're jumping to conclusions. When Niall comes…"

"I will tell him thanks, but no thanks, I'm quite happy here in Bon Temps." I smiled to her.

Claudine stepped towards me. She looked pissed. She reached her hand out towards me, and I had the sudden realization that all it took was her touching me, and she could just pop us both away, perhaps to Fae, and that would be it. I'd be gone. I reached in the back of my jeans and grabbed the water pistol. I felt like a cop on one of those procedural dramas. I whipped the gun around in front of me, aiming it at her face. "Dooooon't you even think about touching me." I said. Claudine must have been able to smell what was in the pistol and she immediately took a few steps back, putting her hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"You'd really do that to your own family?" she asked.

"I'll do what I have to if it means protecting me. Besides, you're trying to take your own family against their will."

"So you won't even consider it?" she asked. As if me pointing the squirt gun full of lemon juice wasn't proof enough that I had made up my mind.

"I have. And I've made my decision."

Claudine shook her head. "Niall will not be happy about this." she said and popped away.

* * *

><p>"I don't think your ward is working." I told Amelia over the phone. As soon as Claudine popped away, I ran inside, made sure all the doors were locked, and called her. Not that Claudine or any other fairy could just pop in to the house and take me, but I felt better with the doors locked.<p>

"What? Why? What happened? Are you alright?" she asked, frantic.

"I'm fine. But Claudine was just here, and I got the distinct feeling she was going to take me right then and there. How could she still be on the porch if that's what she had planned?"

"Well, sounds like I need to change the ward. I'm not sure if it'll work against fairies, so I need to consult with someone first. But if she didn't mean you harm, at least, if she didn't think she meant you harm, that's how she was allowed to stay in there."

"Oh. Well, we need some changes done. ASAP, because I don't think I've heard the last of them."

"I'll call you in an hour." she told me, and I thanked her again before hanging up. I felt so open and exposed in my home. I needed to find a room, and hunker down there. I took the receiver from my cordless phone, along with my cell phone, and went to the bathroom with the iron gardening tools and all the lemon juice I had bought that day and headed to my bathroom.

Sure, putting myself in a corner may not have been the best idea, but at least this way, no one was going to sneak up behind me.

I sat there, in my tub, back against the wall, trowel in one hand, lemon juice filled squirt gun in the other, poised to attack.

I practically threw them across the room when the house phone rang at my side. I needed to calm down. Poor Eric was going to be a mess when he woke up after what I was feeling today.

"Hello?" I said into the phone after talking a deep breath.

"Not so great news Sook." Amelia said. I groaned into the phone. "My colleague and I haven't been able to find anything that's going to work against a fairy. They're magic pretty much trumps ours. We're still searching, but it's not looking good."

"I appreciate you at least trying." I said, hoping that she really could feel how grateful I was through the phone. I had been harsh with her, and she was still willing to help me. I didn't doubt that she was trying as best she could.

"I'll call if you if we find anything. Or I could always come over there and hang out with you, keep you company, do my work there."

"No, you're already doing enough. If they come back, I don't want you here and getting in the middle of it."

We said our goodbyes and hung up. I checked my cell phone for the time, and found it was only two in the afternoon. I had quite some time still until Eric was up for the evening, and who was to even say he was still in the area. It could be hours before he got to me. I would have to call him as soon as the sun set. I pulled up the Weather Channel app to see when the sun set today, and set a reminder in my phone to go off then so that I could call him. I didn't have any windows in my bathroom, so I couldn't exactly see when the sun set.

So that's what I did all afternoon. I felt like a nut. Sitting there in the tub, weapons at the ready. A garden trowel and squirt gun. I giggled a little at what I must look like. If any of the doctors or nurses from the hospital had seen me like this, they would have carted me away on the spot.

I'm not sure I would have blamed them.

I checked the time again after a while. It was only three thirty. Four more hours until Eric was up for the night. I'd pack a bag as soon as he got here, and go with him to New Orleans or something. He had said that Niall wouldn't be willing to start a war with vampires. I needed to finish this bond with Eric, and I needed to go back to New Orleans with him. Trust him or not, my number one priority was me, and I didn't doubt that Eric would try to keep me safe from the fairies, so unless Amelia came up with something to ward my house against them, he was my best bet.

Just sitting there in my tub, running on no sleep from the night before, all the things that I had done today… I couldn't help falling asleep. I noticed I was starting to head bob, so I picked up my phone and pulled up the music that Jason had showed me how to put on there ages ago. I put on a play list of pop music and sang along as best I could. But after a bit, even that wasn't working, and I was dozing off. I tried to call Amelia, but she didn't answer. I tried Jason, but he didn't answer either. Great. Where the hell was everyone when I needed them?

I thought about just calling some random number, but I doubted anyone would just chat with some random person. I thought about calling a teen hotline or something, but then the guilt of taking away a councilor from some kid who might actually need them at that moment got the best of me. I had to stay awake.

That was the last thing I thought as I dozed off.

* * *

><p>"Sookie?" I heard a voice chuckle. It jarred me out of my slumber and I squeezed the trigger on the squirt gun and took a swipe with the trowel before I had even opened my eyes.<p>

"Oh crud!" I said, opening my eyes and realizing I had just doused Eric with lemon juice. He just looked down at his shirt and then back to me, fighting a smile. I took a deep breath, trying to slow down my heart because it felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest with the way I had been startled.

"I think that in a thousand years, this may be up there with the strangest things I have ever seen." he mused, smiling at me.

"Yeah, it's hilarious!" I said, trying to unfold my body and stand up. Both my legs were asleep, and I nearly fell over as soon as I stood up. Eric laughed as he caught me, picking me up and taking me out to my bed, setting me on the edge while my legs tingled back to life.

"Why, might I ask, are you sleeping in your bathtub with a gardening tool and toy?"

"I saw Claudine today. Our talk didn't go so well. I think she was going to try to take me. She didn't leave here very happy with me." I said, wiggling my toes and legs. Eric just raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. "I wanted to ask her about Niall's intensions with me. If he'd take me against my will. I wanted to see if there was a way out of this besides bonding with you."

Now, I didn't say that to be mean, but I felt the tiniest bit of hurt from Eric, and my eyes shot up from my legs to his face. He must have realized that I felt his hurt, and his expression went solid, and I felt nothing from him.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." I told him, finally able to stand, I went to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He kept his arms crossed over his chest and just looked down at me. "I'm just trying to do this without you having to bond to me. I'm sure you're okay about it now… but what about forty years from now when I'm all old and wrinkly?" I tried to smile up at him, but he was still brooding. "I appreciate what you're doing for me." I whispered to him. I hugged him a little more. "And right now, Amelia can't find anything to ward this place against fairies, so unless I plan on spending every day and night in my tub, I need to get out of here."

Eric quirked an eyebrow at me. "Where will you go?" he asked.

"Well… I was thinking maybe I'd be safe with you in New Orleans?" I smiled up at him.

"Perhaps…" he said, and the corner of his mouth pulled up for just a split second before his lips went back to their expressionless state. "But if you are going to be moving back in, I need to hear the truth from you about last night."

Oh for crying out loud! "Fine. I was scared. Things were moving a little to fast for me. I freaked out. I'm better now." I said, smiling at him again. I wasn't exactly lying… I'd tell him the full truth some day.

Eric looked me over, trying to decide if I was being truthful with him now I guessed, and after he considered it for a moment, he nodded, and then unwrapped his arms from his chest, and put them around me.

"It's not the full truth, and you don't trust me completely. I can feel it. I can see it. But I can tell what ever it is, you're scared to tell me. You don't have to be." he told me, and placed a small kiss on my forehead.

"Eric…" I started, but he captured my mouth with his, laying one mother of a searing hot kiss on me. I felt my knees give out and was glad that he was holding me. I felt him smile against my mouth before releasing me so that I could take a much needed breath.

"You may say that what happened before is in the past, and I can see that you are trying very hard to make that true. But I also can not blame you for being weary. I only hope to earn back the trust that I lost." I nodded and he released me. "Pack. We will leave as soon as you are ready. You will be safe in the palace, and we can complete bonding." he said, and I started to protest about the bonding, because I still thought that we should discuss it a little more, but he cut me off. "Believe me when I say that I don't care if you are twenty six or eighty six. I will not regret bonding with you."

I simply nodded and then made my way around my room, packing as quickly as I could while Eric excused himself to my living room to make some calls. I packed everything my duffle bag would hold, and then made my way to the bathroom to get what I could. I picked up my cell phone from the tub and called Amelia, who still wasn't answering. I told her I was going to New Orleans with Eric, but to call me as soon as she found out anything about a ward.

"Ready." I said as I joined Eric in the living room.

* * *

><p>We were mostly quiet on the drive down to New Orleans . There was some small talk here and there, but mostly I just watched the scenery as we flew down the highway. Not that there was much to see at night, but I liked watching out the window none the less. I was actually happy for the silence, because it had given me time to think about things.<p>

I cared for Eric so much. I was so scared of my feelings, and so excited by them. I was also confused. I couldn't understand, after all this time and everything that had happened, how he still had this effect on me. I felt like when I was around him, I could just forget everything. Just throw myself in his arms, begging the big sexy Viking to take me right then and there.

And then I would remember that I had heard his thoughts. Images of him screaming at me, attacking me, ending me because he had found out. I looked over to him and he looked to me from the driver's seat and smiled. Only, I knew he had to be feeling what I was feeling, and I realized I could feel his nervousness. He was nervous about something. "What's wrong?" I asked, but she just said it was nothing for me to be concerned with. He wasn't just nervous though. He was angry as well. I hoped that was geared towards the fairies and not me.

Once we were back at the palace someone came out for my bag and Eric and I walked to my old room there. My bag was already in the closet, and when I saw the bed I realized how tired I was. I looked to Eric, who was already making himself comfortable in my bed, to my closet, where I knew there was a comfortable pair of pajamas waiting for me. Part of me just wanted to crawl in next to Eric, but the other part wanted to do it in a comfy pair of jammies.

I sighed, jammies won, and just as I made my way to the closet, there was a knock at my door, a rush of air, and before I could even finishing processing that someone had knocked on my door, I was in a death grip of a hug, by none other than Pam. She didn't say a thing, she just hugged me. She had even managed to lift me off the ground slightly, and I was having a little trouble breathing, which my laughing didn't help.

I heard Eric growl and Pam set me down. "Oh hush, it's just a hug." I said, and Pam leaned over and kissed my cheek before whispering that she was glad to see me, and then she turned and left just as suddenly as she had come. I looked over to Eric, my eyebrows drawn together, confusion written all over my face, while he just laughed, rolling on to his back on my bed. I don't think I had ever seen him laugh so hard.

"I'm changing." I said, and headed to the closet, emerging a few minutes later in a pale yellow sleep tank and grey sweat shorts. Eric had stopped laughing, but was still lying on his back. When he heard me, I turned and reached out an arm, pulling me to him once I had climbed in the bed. I rested my head on his chest, my body fitting in that little nook his body created for me with his arm wrapped around me. I felt safe there.

We didn't lay like that for long before I fell asleep. It was peaceful, and I didn't have any nightmares like I had had the night before. I woke up all on my own, not entirely sure as to what time it was, but I knew it wasn't dawn yet, because Eric was still with me, holding me as he had when I had fallen asleep.

* * *

><p>"Sookie?" I heard Eric say, just above a whisper.<p>

"Hmmm?" I mumbled back.

"Do you still love me?" he asked.

I sighed. If he was asking if I still loved him, then at some point he'd seen my suicide note. The one I'd written on the back of Jason's note to me, just before I jumped off the roof of my apartment building.

I could just say it, that I did. That I still loved him. That I hope he felt something for me to. He seemed to. But, to scared to actually say anything aloud, I did the next best thing. I let all the love that I still felt for him came pouring through me. I had hoped when I had gotten out of the half-way house that tucking it away would hide it from Eric. I didn't need to make things all complicated with him the second that I got out, and I was worried as all get out that he wouldn't feel anything for me anymore. So I had been shielding my feelings. Now, I was sure that he still felt something.

So if I was so sure, why couldn't I just be honest with him about what had happened?

His response to the flood of emotion from me was to hug me tighter to him. I could feel him kiss my neck, and then he started to get out of bed. Okay… not what I was expecting….

"Come." he said once he was standing at my side. He reached out his hand to me and I took it as I climbed out of bed. Wordlessly he pulled me along behind him, down the stairs, through the foyer, across to his office where he shut the doors. I just watched him as he walked to the back of his office, opened up a keypad that was hidden in the wall, typed in some numbers, and watched as the book shelf slid open, revealing a stair well that led down below the palace. Lights came on on either side of the stairs, and I could see another door with keypad at the bottom. He motioned for me to follow him and I did.

At the bottom of the stairs he punched in another set of numbers and that door slid open to what I realized was his day chamber. The walls were a sapphire blue, the carpet was a deep grey. There was a four post bed against the middle of the far wall and a nightstand on either side. There were double doors to the left and double doors to the right. There was a small refrigerator against the same wall the door was with a microwave on a stand next to it.

I looked up at Eric. "Will you spend the day with me?" he asked. What? I guess my face said as much. Eric pulled me to him, and started to back us up towards the bed. "I trust you, Sookie." he said, caressing my cheek.

This was big. I knew it was, because of what he had said about how the Queen had died.

"_Wait, can I ask some questions first?" I said. I decided that I wasn't comfortable sitting like that anymore, so I finally gave up trying to find a comfortable position, and I laid on my stomach. Eric watched as I got settled. He didn't say I couldn't ask anything, so I started in. "What happened to the Queen?"_

"_She was murdered by her pet." he said. I motioned for him to elaborate. "She grew to trust her human companion more than she should have. Sophie-Anne shared her day chamber with the human. But Sophie-Anne also had appearances to keep up. And for financial reasons, she agreed to marry the King of Arkansas. Her human grew jealous, and one day, while Sophie-Anne slept, her human drove a stake through her."_

He trusted me completely. He trusted that I wouldn't kill him while he died for the day. I felt a tear slide down my cheek and I nodded my head to him that I would stay.

He took me back over to the keypad, and showed me the code to leave. It was just a random set of numbers and I repeated over and over to myself until I was sure that I had them.

"You may leave during the day if you need. But I hope that you would be here when I wake." he said, and I found that I was rather speechless. I was worried that if I did find something to say, it may make the crying worse, so for now, it was best to just smile and nod.

Eric led us back over to the bed where he kicked off his shoes, discarded his shirt, and let his jeans fall to the floor. I just stood there and watched in amazement as this Norse god undressed in front of me. I swallowed hard and tried to keep that wanton sex crazed Sookie that had suddenly appeared the other night at bay. I heard Eric chuckled and realized I was staring at his abs the entire time. He had that vertical line thing that ran down his hips, practically pointing to the promise land. That vertical line V shape thing made smart girls stupid.

I blushed who knows what shade of red and put my hands to my face. This just made Eric laugh again as he climbed in to bed and then pulled me down with him. He snuggled me right up against him, wrapping one of his legs over mine, an arm over my body, and his other arm under my head. He was on his side, and I was on mine, facing his chest. I felt him kiss the top of my head.

"I hope that this shows you how I feel." he said, and I nodded in to his chest. He whispered to me, "Goodnight, Sookie." and I felt his body growing heavy.

"Goodnight, Eric." I whispered back, but he was already dead for the day.

* * *

><p>I found that I loved a good snuggle with Eric, and this was the ultimate snuggle, because his limp body had me held to him like a vice.<p>

I slept a few hours, but awoke when my human needs couldn't be put off any longer. I wiggled my way out from under him, stopping to fix his hair a little since it was splayed out around him, and becoming quite tangled from my efforts to escape his grasp. I stood there and looked down at him, smiling to myself at how peaceful he looked.

And then I really had to go, so I scrambled over to the double doors on my side of the bed, but found that was his closet. His expansive closet. Carrie Bradshaw, eat your heart out. I closed the doors and ran to the other side of the room, opening up the other set of doors that, thankfully, led to the bathroom.

Oh what a bathroom it was. There was a long marble counter with double sink, a shower that looked like ten people could fit in it, with shower heads at every angle, and a tub, which looked like it doubled as a small pool.

But there wasn't a toilet.

Of course there wasn't.

I ran back out of the bathroom, went to the security door, struggling to enter the code as I danced around. The door couldn't have slid open any slower the way I saw it. I sprinted up the stairs, entering the exit code again, and waited for it to shut, just to be safe, before sprinting through Eric's office, across they foyer, up the stairs, and to my bedroom. I barely got my bottoms down in time and had never felt such relief once I was on the toilet. My bladder thanked me.

Once I was done, I brushed my teeth and hair, changed into jeans and a t-shirt and then headed down for some breakfast/lunch. I hadn't realized I had slept so long, it was nearly one in the afternoon. I strolled in to the kitchen, sat at one of the counters and greeted everyone that I remembered. Soon, there was a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup in front of me, and I gobbled it down. I hadn't realized I was so hungry until I smelled the food when I entered the kitchen.

After that, I decided I would go lay out for a while. I wanted to soak up the last of the summer sun before it was gone. I ran back up to my room, searched for an old bikini left over from one of the other times I had stayed here, grabbed a towel from my bathroom, and headed out to the lawn.

I thought about what I was going to say to Eric when he woke up. He wanted me there when he rose, and I was planning on being there. I had to remind myself to be down there a little early, since he seemed to rise just a bit before the sun was truly set.

I decided I was going to tell him the truth. He showed an excessive amount of trust in me in letting me down in his day chamber. And for crying out loud, I loved him, and he felt something strong for me too. He was willing to bond with me, tie me to him forever just so that I didn't have to worry about being taken to Fae. He cared about me even after all the stupid things I'd done, and was trying like heck to make up for the wrongs that he felt he had done me.

What the hell was wrong with me? Why was I even scared to tell him in the first place? Why was I holding him at arms length at times? Because you're a silly, stupid girl sometimes. That's why. You've got all these feelings that you've never had before, and you're scared and you don't know what to do with them.

Actually, I decided at that moment exactly what I was going to do with them.

I jumped up off the lounge chair I was in and ran back into the palace and up to my room to get ready for Eric to wake up.

* * *

><p>It was weird. I could feel him stirring in my head, my body, before he actually opened his eyes. I guessed it was because of the blood exchange from the other night. It was the beginnings of a bond, and it was weak, but it was there. I guess I could feel him rising now because I was on top of him. Literally.<p>

When I had gotten back down in Eric's day chamber, I had worked, and I mean worked, on rolling him on to his back. I kept telling myself he was just sleeping, and that he wasn't this heavy because it was dead weight. Well, technically, it was dead weight, but I didn't want to think of it like that considering he actually looked dead.

Once I had him how I wanted, on his back, arms at his sides, I brushed his hair out since I was the one who had made it completely disheveled what with having to roll him off me earlier, and now turning him on his back and moving him to the center of the bed.

Now, I was laying on top of him, resting my head on his silent chest, waiting for him to wake up. When I felt him stirring, I picked up my head, and watched his face, waiting for his eyes to open. The first physical signs that he was awake for the evening was his nose and chest. I felt his chest rise slightly, and watched his rose twitch a bit as he sniffed the air. Then, once he must have realized by scent that it was me on top of him, his lips curled up in a smile, and his arms wrapped around me.

"I need to talk to you." I said, and he slowly opened his eyes. "It's important, and I need you to not say anything or do anything until I'm done. Do you promise?"

Eric simply nodded, already enacting the no talking part of my request, and I took a deep breath.

"The other night, when you took my blood… I heard you." I paused, waiting to see if he was going to do anything. React in some way, but he kept his word, and didn't. He was motionless and expressionless. I couldn't even feel him anymore I realized. I wondered if he'd cut me off from feeling him. I wasn't sure how to take that. "I didn't mean to, I swear. It just happened. It's the only time it's ever happened, and it was only for a split second." I stopped and waited again, but still, nothing from him. "And I didn't hear anything important either. You were just thinking about me." I finished, trying to smile a little, nervously. I waited for Eric to say something, but he didn't. "Oh, I'm done." I said, and then tensed up, waiting for whatever he was going to say or do.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" he finally said, even toned, no emotion, no sign of how he was feeling about it. It was almost robotic.

I hid my face down in his chest. "I was scared you would kill me. You tested me when you first took me from the mental hospital. I could tell you were thinking something nasty, and I knew you were waiting for me to react. If I had heard you that night, I have a very good feeling I would have been killed. I was scared that might still be the case."

"You didn't trust me." he said, still robotic, monotone.

"No."

"Then why tell me now?"

"Because after what you did last night, I realized I was being stupid. I was so scared that you were going to kill me if you knew. I didn't trust that things had changed enough, that you cared about me enough to not kill me." I said, shaking my head. "I don't know what I was thinking, and I'm sorry I kept that from you."

I looked back up to Eric's face and our eyes locked. I was searching his for something, anything that would tell me he wasn't mad, that he wasn't going to freak out completely in the next second that I had heard into his mind the other night. The longer we stared at each other, the more nervous I got that I had made a complete mistake in saying anything.

"Are you mad? I swear, I want to be in your mind about as much as you want me there. You're a breath of fresh air compared to what I normally have to deal with, what I have to do to keep everyone else out of my head. I don't want to ruin that. I couldn't even consider being with you if this was something that happened on a regular basis, so I hope it was just a one time fluke. I really do. Because you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I don't want to lose that." I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Eric still didn't say anything, and I was now terribly uncomfortable laying there on top of him.

I moved to slide off him so that I could leave his chamber when his arms wrapped back around me, tighter than before. I froze, scared out of my mind, worried that this was it. He wasn't letting me go, he was going to end me.

And then he smiled at me. "Where are you going?" he asked, and my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. He frowned a little at me. "Do not tell anyone that you heard my thoughts, do you understand? Do not bring it up again. If it happens again, do not even tell me that it has."

I nodded that I understood completely.

"Good." he smiled. "Anything else?"

"Actually… yes." I said, and put part two of my plan in to action. I pulled myself up on his body, so that my face was above his. My heart was still beating rapidly, but now for a completely different reason. I was looking in to his eyes, and his went from amused to confused at my actions, searching mine for an answer.

I leaned down, closing the gap between us, and took his lips with mine. I was being slow and sweet and gentle, and he was letting me set the pace. I sucked on his bottom lip, just a little, nibbling it with my teeth before letting go and leaning back up above him. Eric released his arms from around me, allowing me to sit all the way up, straddling his waist now. I could feel his erection pressing in to me, and I moved my hips just a little, watching as his eyes closed for only a second and then snapping back open when he heard me taking off my shirt.

"Sookie…" he moaned, running his hands up my thighs, to my waist, resting just above the top of my jeans, touching my bare flesh where my shirt had been moments before.

"Eric…" I moaned back to him as his hand started to roam higher, nearly to my breasts now. I tried to remember what I was doing. "I won't share you." I breathed out. He nodded. "There isn't anyone else?" I asked, trying to keep my wits about me as his hands lightly caressed my sides. He had come up to the sides of my breasts, and they were begging for him to touch them, and then his hands had started their slow decent back down my sides.

"No one." he said, now growling. "Only Sookie."

* * *

><p><strong>So random sillyness. When I went on my road trip back in April, we had a minor car malfunction on the Oregon Trail. Yeah, that's right, we broke down on the Oregon Trail.<strong>

**Luckly, no one got dysentery... or bitten by a snake. (This is funny if you've played the game. Expecially if you played it all old skool style in the 80's)**

**But... we had to call a tow, and the driver was really creepy, and had a creepy song on his cell phone, and he took us and the car to a town that was 6 miles from where we broke down, and it was the craziest thing. Everyone in that tire store knew everyone else. People were just meeting up and everyone was talking, and we stuck out like sore thumbs. It seemed like it was THE place to be on Friday's.**

**It was the most awkward, silliest things I've ever experienced.**

**I'm a born and raised Southern California/Los Angeles girl. That stuff don't happen here. But I suppose it happens in small towns in Oregon... and probably Bon Temps.**


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